Orange County Register laying off newsroom employees

Jim Romenesko, the media columnist at jimromenesko.com, reported today (January 16) that he received multiple communications from Orange County Register newsroom employees who got the axe.

Romenesko said that, as of last count, 32 newsroom employees have been pink-slipped. The layoffs include a raft of top editors.

This is not exactly a surprise because there were rumors that the paper was not doing well. However, as of last August, its new owner, Aaron Kushner, had shocked those in the industry by doubling the number of reporters and editors to 350 and adding 22 weekly sections.

When he headed the group buying the Riverside Press Enterprise, there were rumors that Kushner was having trouble with the financing. But the deal went through. Then he started the Long Beach Register. When Kushner expanded the print side, people in the industry were extremely skeptical. Now they will be saying, "I told you so."

Before newspapers, Kushner was in the greeting-card industry.