The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and Maine Today have announced job cuts. The Post-Dispatch will eliminate 31 jobs, while the Press Herald will cut 27 positions, which includes 15 layoffs.

Newsroom jobs will be spared at the Post-Dispatch, while the cuts will mainly take place in the circulation department, the classified phone rooms, the production department, purchasing, telephone operations and the marketing department. The paper said the cuts include some management positions, but no specific number was given, according to Editor & Publisher.

At the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and Maine Today, the cuts include some in the newsroom, but no reporter positions. However, the eliminations will affect every department, and a mixture of part- and full-time positions. The Press Herald said it will cut back more on supplemental wire services and reduce its newshole in order to further reduce costs, E&P reported.

Both papers pointed to the general economic downturn across the country and ad declines as reasons for the cuts.

According to Press Herald Publisher Charles E. Cochrane, this year's advertising is “considerably below budget,” and the rest of the year doesn't look much better, E&P reported.

Post-Dispatch Publisher Kevin Mowbray said in a statement that ad declines were particularly serious in the housing market. "Although the Post-Dispatch is performing relatively well, especially compared with other metropolitan newspapers, we believe it is prudent to dial back our expenses modestly," Mowbray added.