Pruitt was counsel for
McClatchy from 1984 to 1987, corporate Secretary and General Counsel from 1987 to 1998, publisher for
The Fresno Bee from 1991 to 1994, general counsel from 1987 to 1991, and Vice President for Operations and Technology from 1991 to 1994. He was Chief Operating Officer from 1995 to 1996. He became President starting in 1995, Chief Executive Officer in 1996, and Chairman in 2001. During his leadership Pruitt led the ill-fated acquisition of Knight Ridder group leading to debt and layoffs at McClatchy Papers. In April 2012 it was announced he would become CEO of the Associated Press.
Kevin McClatchy assumed his chairman of the board role and
Patrick J. Talamantes assumed the CEO role. He is a former chairman of the
Newspaper Association of America and
James Irvine Foundation, and a former vice chairman of the
Associated Press Board of Directors. He is on the Advisory Board of the
USC Annenberg School Center on Communication Leadership & Policy. ==References==