Albany, N.Y.
Owner: Hearst Corp.
Effective: March 21, 2011

A maintenance employee was laid off. According to the Albany Newspaper Guild, the paper has warned “other job cuts may be on the horizon in editorial and other departments.” The union contract requires the company to give a 45-day notice before layoffs; that requirement was not met before the maintenance employee was laid off.
Source: Albany Newspaper Guild

Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: May 11, 2011

The 3-year-old weekly paper has closed. “While the Blue Springs Journal doesn’t have nearly the tenure of other area newspapers, our mission and goals are the same — to accurately report on news at the community level,” Publisher John Beaudoin wrote in a note on the paper’s website. “I believe the Journal did just that.

“Our economy and evolving industry have forced us to become slimmer from a cost standpoint and more critical when evaluating business models that work. The Blue Springs Journal is a victim of the latter.”

Beaudoin did not say how many employees would be laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Sources: Blue Springs Journal via Bottom Line Communications

Belton, Mo.
Owner: The McClatchy Co.
Effective: May 12, 2011

The weekly paper, which was founded in 1892, has closed. “I am sure many of you know of and have experienced firsthand the financial hardships that have come crashing down on all of us over the last few years,” Publisher John Beaudoin wrote in a note published on the paper’s website. “Companies are tightening their belts, layoffs are rampant and industries with as much history as our towns themselves are forced to transform with the times. Decisions like this do not come easy and we wish the city’s residents and leadership well.” Beaudoin did not say how many Star Herald employees were laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Sources: The Belton Star Herald via Bottom Line Communications

Hartford, Conn.
Owner: Tribune Co.
Announced: July 7, 2011

An unknown number of newsroom employees will be laid off. A story on the Courant’s website confirmed employees were laid off, but “The company did not disclose how many jobs would be eliminated or over what time period. It was unclear Thursday how many of the eliminations involved layoffs or open positions that wouldn’t be filled. The company declined to elaborate.” Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: Hartford Courant

Chicago
Owner: Tribune Co.
Effective: July 21, 2011

“About 20″ employees were laid off — most from the newsroom, according to Crain’s Chicago Business sources. The Tribune has not commented on the layoffs. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Sources: Crain’s Chicago Business via Paper Cuts tip

Phoenix, Ariz.
Owner: Gannett Co. Inc.
Effective: July 21, 2011

In a story on its website, the Republic reported “about 30″ employees were laid off. The paper did not offer any other details, but said the move was part of 700 job cuts across Gannett. Both Gannett Blog and the Phoenix New Times reported that the Phoenix Offset Plant in Chandler would close, which both said would result in “about 40″ layoffs. Gannett Blog commenters also reported that the Republic’s features department was hardest hit by newsroom layoffs, and that fashion magazine “Yes” was eliminated.

Do you know more? Can you clarify how many people were laid off? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Sources: The Arizona Republic; Phoenix New Times; Gannett Blog

Richmond, Va.
Owner: Media General Inc.
Effective: July 13, 2011

Eighteen full-time and two part-time employees were laid off. “We regret making any staff reductions, and we will miss all the folks who left us today,” said Rick Thornton, vice president for audience and content development at Richmond Media Group. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Sylvania, Ohio
Owner: Delphos Herald Inc.
Effective: July 13, 2011

The weekly paper has closed. “After publishing a newspaper for the community of Sylvania for over 120 years, the Sylvania Herald has been forced to close,” a note on the paper’s website says. “We would like to thank our advertisers and of course our thousands of readers for your loyal support over the years. This will be the final edition of the newspaper. A decision like this is not reached lightly and we have put much thought and emotion into reaching this conclusion. The cost of printing and distributing 12,500 newspapers weekly has simply become more than our ad revenue can support.” Murray Cohen, president of Delphos Herald Inc., was the paper’s only full-time employee; it had four part-time employees.
Sources: Sylvania Herald; Toledo Blade

South Bend, Ind.
Owner: Schurz Communications Inc.
Effective: July 21, 2011

Twenty-seven full- and part-time employees were laid off. The paper’s four-sentence story about the layoffs did not offer details; publisher Kimberly Wilson said the decision to lay off employees was “extremely difficult.” Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: South Bend Tribune via Paper Cuts tips

Update: Of the 27 employees laid off, about 18 were newsroom employees. (08.07.11)
Source: Paper Cuts tip

Tucson, Ariz.
Owner: Lee Enterprises
Effective: July 21, 2011

More than 50 employees were laid off. A story on the Star’s website said the “cuts came from throughout the operation and were not limited to the newsroom,” but did not offer more details. The Tucson Weekly reported the Star was “gutting its marketing department and taking a major swath to the news department.” As many as 15 newsroom employees were laid off, including 40 percent of the photography department. The paper’s four security guards also were laid off; a private firm was hired to provide security.
Sources: Arizona Daily Star; Tucson Weekly; Tucson Sentinel; Paper Cuts tips

Full disclosure: I work at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which also is owned by Lee Enterprises.