Henri Gendreau said he feels “shocked and betrayed” after the new owner of The Roanoke Rambler terminated the site’s entire reporting staff just days after the sale closed.
Gendreau, who founded the digital news outlet in 2021, issued a statement Monday expressing devastation over the firing of journalists Todd Jackson, Jeff Sturgeon and Sinclair Holian. The move follows the acquisition of the publication by Roanoke entrepreneur Ollie Howie, a transaction that finalized March 30.
“I shed blood, sweat and tears to try to leave The Roanoke Rambler in good hands; this is not at all what I anticipated,” Gendreau said. “Before the sale closed, I felt assured that staff would be retained, that they would be compensated at the same rates, and that the mission of local, investigative news would continue.”
Local news partnership in jeopardy
The staff cuts leave the future of a long-standing media partnership in doubt. Jackson, Sturgeon and Holian have been regular contributors to WFIR’s “On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler.” The segment typically airs Wednesday mornings at 7:45 a.m. on The Roanoke Valley’s Morning News.
Signs of a transition were visible last week when the Rambler released no new investigative stories and the weekly radio segment did not air. Sturgeon has been the most frequent guest on the program, providing deep dives into local government and community issues.
Gendreau noted that Holian’s position was specifically supported by a grant from Report for America, a national program designed to bolster local newsrooms.
Alleged shift to non-professional freelance model
An anonymous source tells WFIR that Howie allegedly sent a message proposing a new direction for the publication that moves away from a professional newsroom. The source, who is not a member of the journalism trade, claims Howie is seeking “freelance open source articles” from the public.
“We are going to do freelance open source articles that folks that are qualified like you can get compensated to publish as one new initiative,” the message allegedly stated. “We hope to continue to bring great journalism to the community.”
This alleged shift to a contributor-based model stands in contrast to Howie’s initial public comments on April 6. In a letter posted to the Rambler’s website, Howie said the acquisition was about “preserving a trusted community voice” and “strengthening local journalism”.
New owner to address the valley
Despite the recent terminations and the public response from Gendreau, Howie is still scheduled to appear on WFIR this Wednesday, April 15, at 7:45 a.m.
The interview is expected to address the current state of the publication and Howie’s vision for the future of the Roanoke Rambler. It will be the first time the new owner speaks publicly since the staff terminations were announced.
Howie, a managing partner of Mount Auburn Venture Partners and a member of Roanoke’s Economic Development Authority, has not yet specified how the editorial process will be managed under the alleged freelance initiative.
