Report: Layoffs at Southern California News Group

Southern California News Group, which includes the Los Angeles Daily News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and other newspapers, will reportedly face significant layoffs in coming months. The SCNG papers are owned by parent company Digital First Media. The Los Angeles Times reported that newsroom meetings were held at the Daily News, Orange County Register, the Daily Breeze in Torrance, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune in Monrovia and the Press-Enterprise in Riverside. Newsroom employees were informed that “involuntary terminations” would take place due to declining revenues. The story said that Bay Area News Group, also owned by Digital First Media, also will be affected. That group includes the San Jose Mercury News and East Bay Times. A SCNG spokesman said the group would not talk numbers or other details. SCNG President Ron Hasse said in an e-mail, “Like our counterparts in the industry, Southern California News Group is making some difficult but necessary decisions with respect to our newsroom staffing to find efficiencies in how we operate and better position our organization for its digital future.”