Bar Harbor, Augusta, Rockland, Belfast Maine
Owner: Village NetMedia
Effective: July 6, 2011

Printing has been outsourced to the Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine; 17 employees were laid off. “While making the decision to close the company’s own print facility makes compelling business sense, the decision is made with great regret due to its effect on the lives of 15 full- and two part-time (employees_ working at the plant,” CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement. The group’s printing facility was located in Rockland, and printed at least 20 other publications as well.
Source: Bangor Daily News

Belfast, Maine
Owner: Bangor Publishing Co.
Effective: Nov. 10, 2011

The 2-year-old weekly paper has closed. Editor Roxanne Moore accepted a buyout offer from the Bangor Daily News (the Beacon’s parent publication) in September. Bangor Daily News editor Michael Dowd said the decision was spurred by “rising production and delivery costs.”
Source: Down East

Albany, N.Y.
Owner: Hearst Corp.
Effective: Nov. 11, 2011

Buyouts are being offered to guild employees; the Albany Newspaper Guild represents more than half of the paper’s 400 employees. It is not clear how many buyouts will be accepted, but The Business Review reports the “magic number” is six to nine positions. If there are not enough volunteers, publisher George Hearst said “we will have to address the staff reduction in another way, and that could mean layoffs.”

Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: The Business Review

Port Angeles, Wash.
Owner: Black Press Ltd.
Effective: Nov. 14, 2011

Horvitz Newspapers LLC sold the paper to Black Press Ltd. The paper will be printed in Everett, Wash.; the Port Angeles presses will close. Twenty press and mailroom employees will be laid off.
Source: Seattle Times

Portland, Ore.
Owner: Advance Publications
Effective: Nov. 1, 2011

About 20 business-side employees were laid off Nov. 1. Officials have confirmed employees were laid off, but have not confirmed the final number. Sources told Willamette Week that executives have not ruled out more layoffs in the future.
Source: Willamette Week

Norwich, Conn.
Owner: GateHouse Media Inc.
Effective: Nov. 14, 2011

Executive editor Jim Konrad announced seven newsroom positions will be eliminated. The announcement on the Bulletin’s website provided no other details.
Source: Norwich Bulletin

Tampa, Fla.
Owner: Media General Inc.
Effective: Nov. 2, 2011

The publisher and vice president of marketing were laid off. A memo emailed to staff members warned there will be more layoffs.
Source: St. Petersburg Times via Paper Cuts tip

Long Beach, Calif.
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: Oct. 25, 2011

The city editor and a sports writer were laid off, part of the paper’s consolidation with the Daily Breeze and Daily News.
Source: Gary Scott

Los Angeles
Owner: Tribune Co.
Effective: November 2011

LA Observed reports design, news operation and web operation staffs will be combined into one department, along with some copy editors. This merger is expected to result in 10 to 20 layoffs. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Sources: LA Observed

Update: Eighteen full-time pressroom employees will be laid off, in addition to the 10 to 20 newsroom employees who will be laid off. Five circulation managers were laid off Nov. 3. (11.20.11)
Source: Los Angeles Times Pressmen’s 20-Year Club

New York
Owner: Mortimer Zuckerman
Date: Nov. 4, 2011

Ten reporters and photographers were laid off. Daily News spokeswoman Jennifer Mauer declined to comment on “personnel matters.” The layoffs follow changes to top newsroom management; at least two of the paper’s seven managing editors have resigned.
Source: Capital New York via Paper Cuts tip

Update: Six more employees have been laid off, and the New York Observer reports there may be more to come. Most recently, a copy editor and a features reporter were laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous. (11.16.11)
Source: New York Observer