The Jersey Journal plans to cut 17 jobs as well as make a reduction at single-copy distribution sites, Editor & Publisher reported.

An agreement between the Newspaper Guild union and publisher Advance Publications is also said to have given more liberty to the paper in what stories it decides to cover and who it assigns to cover the events. The paper has already expressed its intention to direct its focus more to local news.

In an attempt to increase local coverage, the paper will dedicate two to three pages to local events.

Publisher Kendrick Ross said the layoff, which eliminated five guild members in the newsroom, was "negotiated" and that the paper offered severance packages to the "selected individuals" who lost their jobs.

Many selected individuals were asked by the union to volunteer to leave their jobs.