Salt Lake City, Utah
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: May 9, 2012

Five copy editors and four other newsroom employees were laid off. In a story on the paper’s website, Editor Nancy Conway said the “convergence of social, economic and business forces made it necessary to reduce the size of the newsroom.”
Sources: Paper Cuts tips; Salt Lake Tribune via Paper Cuts tip

Walnut Creek, Calif.
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: April 26, 2012

Copy editing has been consolidated; 10 to 12 copy editors were laid off. In a staff memo, Executive Editor Dave Butler called the change a cost-saving move that mimics a similar move at the Denver Post. “Our idea, like Denver’s, is to put more responsibility for copy editing on the editor doing the initial story read — especially on routine stories,” he wrote in the memo. “A second or third edit on most stories has become a luxury most newspapers no longer can afford.”

Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: Poynter via Paper Cuts tip

Los Angeles
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: Oct. 20, 2011

The features editor and food editor were laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: L.A. Observed

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

Denver
Owner: MediaNews Group
Announced: Oct. 5, 2011

Buyouts are being offered; company officials said they hope to “up to 20″ positions. Employees were told layoffs could follow if there are not enough buyout takers. The Post did not publicize the buyout offer’s deadline.
Sources: Denver Post; Westword

Update: Nineteen employees accepted the buyout offer in November. (01.30.12)
Source: Westword via Paper Cuts tips

Torrance, Calif.
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: Sept. 16, 2011

The publisher was laid off. MediaNews’ Los Angeles News Group is consolidating publishers.
Source: The Papers Got Smaller

Salt Lake City, Utah
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: Sept. 12, 2011

Five newsroom employees were laid off. “The reality is, in business you have to make tough decisions to stay healthy and viable,” Editor Nancy Conway said in a story on the Tribune’s website. The paper now has 143 newsroom employees.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune via Paper Cuts tip

Oakland, Alameda, Hayward, Fremont, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Pleasanton, San Joaquin, Calif.
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: Nov. 2, 2011

The Oakland Tribune, Alameda Times-Star, Hayward Daily Review, Fremont Argus and West County Times will become the East Bay Tribune. The Contra Costa Times, San Ramon Valley Times, East County Times, Tri-Valley Herald and San Joaquin Herald will become The Times. Two new weekly papers will be created: The Valley Journal and the Times-Herald. The San Jose Mercury News, the BANG flagship, will remain a daily publication. “Approximately 120 jobs — primarily in the production and editorial divisions” will be eliminated, according to a news release on the Contra Costa Times website. Patch reports about 40 newsroom jobs will be cut.
Sources: Contra Costa Times, Dublin Patch, Gary Scott

Update: In October, Bay Area News Group announced it would cease Monday home delivery of the Oakland Tribune, Fremont Argus and Hayward Daily Review. Previous plans to merge nameplates were revised: Under the new plan, the Valley Times, Tri-Valley Herald and San Joaquin Herald will merge as the Tri-Valley Times; and the Oakland Tribune and Alameda Times-Star will merge as the Oakland Tribune. (11.03.11)
Source: Mercury News

Update: Thirty-four newsroom positions were cut: Walnut Creek Patch reports 10 were cut through “voluntary resignations”; 24 employees were laid off. The news group will be closing its press in Walnut Creek, outsourcing production to San Jose. (11.11.11)
Source: Walnut Creek Patch

Clarification: Tips confirm that 34 employees were laid off: 28 newsroom employees and six managers. (11.19.11)
Source: Paper Cuts tips

Los Angeles
Owner: MediaNews Group
Effective: July 6, 2011

An online content producer and a web producer/designer were laid off.
Source: Gary Scott

Pasadena, Calif.; West Covina, Calif.; Whittier, Calif.
Owner: MediaNews Group
Date: June 24, 2011

At least five San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group newsroom employees were laid off: three copy editors, one photographer and a Pasadena Star-News city editor. Two more newsroom employees also may have been laid off. Do you know more? Leave a comment or send me an email: newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com. Emailed tips are anonymous.
Source: Gary Scott and Paper Cuts tip