photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB

The Press Democrat has been under new ownership for less than three months, and it's newsroom is already shrinking.

In early May, Alden Global Capital, through it's subsidiary MediaNews Group, took over at Santa Rosa's 128 year old newspaper.

Alden has gained a reputation as a cost-cutter at the many publications in their portfolio, like the San Jose Mercury News and Orange County Register, and now an initial layoff has hit the Press Democrat newsroom.

That's according to Phil Barber, an investigative reporter and leader in the paper's staff union, the Press Democrat Guild.

"There was some back and forth with our union and the company, but in the end we're four people short of where we were a week ago," Barber said. "That includes two photographers, a business reporter, and someone who does graphic design."

It's not the first loss from the newsroom Barber said.

"One employee did take a buyout offer," Barber said. "That was veteran reporter and feature writer Meg McConahey, who was very close to retirement."

Barber said there's some concern whether vacant positions within the Press Democrat newsroom will be filled again, but he said, "I still feel the same guarded optimism I have felt since MediaNews purchased the newspaper."

"We're hoping that there will not be any additional layoffs, at least through the end of this year," Barber said. "We've had some signals to that effect."

Barber said he feels despite the loss of newsroom colleagues, that the Press Democrat is still upholding it's mission covering the North Bay.

MediaNews Group did not return a request for comment.