Sacramento-based McClatchy, parent company of The Fresno Bee, reported a net loss of $238.85 million for the third quarter of 2017.

That compares with a net loss of $9.8 million a year earlier.

McClatchy reported its adjusted net loss for the third quarter was $5.9 million, compared to $2.1 million a year earlier.

Despite the losses, the chain of 30 media companies reported record web readership in September of nearly 90 million unique visitors — attributed to news coverage of Hurricane Irma and its impact on the East Coast.

“We reported record audiences in the third quarter of 2017, reaching 89 million unique visitors in the month of September. Our progress in newsroom reinvention, technology improvements and our reporting on Hurricane Irma boosted our audience growth. And while hurricanes and other events posed challenges to our communities, our people, and our operations in the third quarter, we still dramatically reduced the rate of decline in our adjusted EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) — down 7.7% excluding Hurricane Irma’s full impact compared with a 21% decline in the first half. We remain resolute in moving toward stabilized operating results, reducing leverage and accelerating the pace and cadence of our digital transition.”

Total revenues in the third quarter were $212.6 million, down 9.4 percent compared to last year. Total advertising revenues were $115.3 million in the quarter, down 13.4 percent from the year prior.

McClatchy has been engaged in a plan to sell and lease back some of its real estate, completing sales of The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee office buildings. The company expects to sell its News & Observer building in Raleigh, North Carolina and its building and land in Merced in the fourth quarter.