From CP via TheStar.com:

The Waterloo Region Record and Hamilton Spectator daily newspapers are laying off about seven per cent of their employees.

In the Record's case, that amounts to about 20 employees.

At the Spectator, the paper is cutting the equivalent of about 30 full-time positions, although the layoffs affect 35 people in full time, part-time and contract positions.

Record publisher Paul McCuaig says most of the jobs at his newspaper were in the editorial and advertising departments, including about 10 newsroom jobs.

Both he and Spectator publisher Dana Robbins attribute the cuts to the recession, which has affected advertising sales.

Both papers are part of Metroland Media, a division of Torstar Corp. (TS.B).

The NYT's Frank Rich suspects they don't -- or about a lot of other unpleasant topics.

Rupert Murdoch is undoubtedly one of history's great media barons, but his attachment to newspapers is making him look more 19th than 21st century in the eyes of many analysts.

Another newspaper company hobbled by debt that resulted from corporate wheeling and dealing has filed for bankruptcy protection.