Gannett Co., the largest newspaper publisher in the United States and owner of national title USA Today, began implementing its 10 percent employee cuts across the company on Tuesday, likely the largest mass layoff in the history of the newspaper industry. The cut was announced in October as a way to keep the company afloat as revenues have declined, the Associated Press reported.

In August, the McLean, Virginia-based company cut 3 percent of its work force, in addition to a 5 percent staff reduction in USA Today's newsroom (announced Nov. 24).

Gannett owns 85 daily newspapers and almost 900 non-daily publications in the United States, and operates as Newsquest in the United Kingdom. There, the company publishes 17 paid daily newspapers and about 300 weeklies, as well as magazines and trade publications.

So far, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in New York is cutting 59 of its 680 positions, the Wilmington, Delaware-based The News Journal is cutting 44 of 600 jobs and in Florida, The Tallahassee Democrat reported it will cut 25 jobs from its 260-strong staff, according to the AP article, posted by Forbes.

As of Tuesday evening, Jim Hopkins' Gannett Blog counted 863 employees having lost their jobs in the mass layoff, but predicted that the "final tally could run into the thousands." Hopkins was a Gannett reporter and editor for 20 years.

Gannett will give a presentation at the UBS-sponsored 36th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York City next Wednesday. The SFN team will be in attendance.