Gannett called a special directors meeting.

The media company scheduled the meeting for today after a major stockholder said it plans to challenge the company’s proposed anti-takeover measures. Gannett is seeking to stagger the terms of its directors to make it harder for a corporate raider to gain a majority of the company’s board. American Financial, which has a 5% stake in Gannett, said it intends to vote its shares against the anti-takeover provisions at the annual meeting, scheduled for May 21.