Los Angeles Times to lay off 20% of newsroom, one of the largest staff reductions in paper’s history

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Times says it plans to lay off at least 115 employees — more than 20% of the newsroom. The purge starting Tuesday is one of the largest staff cuts in the newspaper’s 143-year history. The head of the journalists’ union says the number being let go, while substantial, is less than feared. The announcement comes after the LA Times Guild walked off the job last Friday to protest the imminent layoffs. Union president Matt Pearce calls it a “dark day.” The Times’ owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, says layoffs are a painful but necessary decision because the Times is losing tens of millions of dollars a year.