8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 30, 2017

The McClatchy Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE	1-9824	52-2080478
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

2100 Q Street

Sacramento, CA 95816

(Address of principal executive offices, zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (916) 321-1846

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(d) On November 30, 2017, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of The McClatchy Company (the “Company”) appointed Vijay Ravindran, a former Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Graham Holdings (formerly The Washington Post Co.) and currently Co-Founder and CEO of Floreo, a virtual reality startup developing first of its kind supervised children’s therapy in VR focused on autism, to the Board to serve as a Class B director effective January 1, 2018. At this time, Mr. Ravindran has not been appointed to serve on any committees of the Board.

In connection with his service as a director, Mr. Ravindran will receive the Company’s standard fees paid to outside directors. A description of outside director fees is set forth in the section entitled “Director Compensation Arrangements” in the Company’s proxy statement filed April 4, 2017, which section is incorporated herein by reference.

There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Ravindran and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Ravindran was appointed as a director of the Company, and there are no transactions in which Mr. Ravindran has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

A copy of the Company’s press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Ravindran is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press release of The McClatchy Company, dated December 5, 2017.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

December 5, 2017	The McClatchy Company
	/s/ Billie S. McConkey
	By:	Billie S. McConkey
		Vice President, Human Resources, General Counsel and Secretary

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description
Exhibit 99.1	Press release of The McClatchy Company, dated December 5, 2017.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Vijay Ravindran Named To McClatchy’s Board Of Directors

SACRAMENTO, Calif., December 5, 2017 -- McClatchy (NYSE American: MNI) today announced the appointment of Vijay Ravindran to its board of directors, effective January 1, 2018.

Ravindran is an accomplished entrepreneur and technology executive with experience in online retail at Amazon and the news media industry for The Washington Post Company. He is currently co-founder and CEO of Floreo, a venture-backed start-up developing virtual reality therapy for children with social and communication delays.

“It is truly an honor to join the Board of McClatchy,” said Ravindran. “I look forward to working with the Board to ensure a rich future for local news.”

“We are excited to welcome Vijay to the Board of Directors,” said McClatchy President and CEO Craig Forman. “Vijay’s understanding of the essential role of local journalism, coupled with his broad technology and leadership experience, will contribute significantly to our business growth and digital transformation.”

Ravindran’s career spans digital commerce and news media. He joined Amazon in 1998 when the company sold books and music. He later served as director of the ordering department at Amazon and led the team that launched Amazon Prime. As Chief Digital Officer for The Washington Post Company, he founded WaPo Labs and oversaw the development of over a dozen products in digital news and launched Washington Post Social Reader and Trove, a personalized news web application.

He is an engineering graduate of the University of Virginia and serves on the Board of the Lenfest Institute, which develops and supports sustainable business models for local journalism.

With the appointment of Ravindran, McClatchy's board of directors now consists of twelve members, including three Class A directors and nine Class B directors.

###

About McClatchy

McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each of its communities with high-quality news and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy is a publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI.

Investor contact:	Media contact:
Stephanie Zarate	Jeanne Segal
szarate@mcclatchy.com	jsegal@mcclatchy.com
(916) 321-1931	202-383-6085