OC Register to Lay Off 30 Newsroom Employees

Just received word from an anonymous but reliable source that the Register is going to announce the elimination of 30 newsroom positions tomorrow. The paper is hoping to avoid direct layoffs by getting volunteers.

Stay tuned for updates on who jumps the ship(wreck).*

*Update #1: Apparently, Freedom Communications hatchet men are waving carrots before sticks, offering sweet retirement deals to senior-level management before going to lowly reporters. The best deal yet: a payout through the end of the year plus two weeks severence pay for every year of service. Rumor has it that Register editor Ken Brusic may say adios amigos anyday now. It'd be hard to blame him.

By the way: if you think this county doesn't need it's own daily muckraking journal, you ought to read John Gittelsohn's hard-hitting coverage of the ongoing real estate meltdown cum global financial crisis. Here's a link to his latest story:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/soni-washington-mutual-2163800-sonis-family