The starvation diet

Deep cuts are expected at the Daily News of Los Angeles, which already operates with a skeleton reporting and editing staff. If true, there will likely be a trickle down effect, with other Singleton-owned papers in Southern California absorbing some of the pain (i.e., firing reporters).

The news isn't any better, and is possibly worse, in Northern California, where every single Singleton employee was offered a buy-out. "The number of jobs that will be eliminated will be significant," says the memo.

Top managers have been fleeing the Singleton empire in recent months. Now we know why.

This is terrible news for news, of course. But, as a former reporter and editor for this chain, I sympathize deeply with everyone who has weathered the cutbacks, rudderless leadership and low pay of these shrinking newspapers only to find out today that blood and muscle isn't enough. They want to grind your bones, too.