More shrinkage at OC Reg as layoffs go national

Shrinkage is polite, carnage is more accurate. Add to the ever-growing list of OC Register layoffs this note from Cathy Taylor, the newspaper's Washington Bureau Editor.

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately, David Hood and I were informed yesterday that the Washington Bureau of the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Register and Riverside Press-Enterprise will be closed.

Our parent company, Freedom Communications, stopped publication of the Los Angeles Register on Tuesday and made other consolidations within the operation to strengthen the company's balance sheet.

David and I are extremely grateful for the opportunity we've had to serve our Southern California readers -- breaking news from DC, explaining Washington's ways and highlighting the significant history here.

Taylor and Hood were the last journalists standing from the DC bureau's launch just last year. One of the original staff of four took a job at a non-profit, and the other returned to SoCal to help staff the LA Register. In her note, Taylor says she and Hood will stay in DC and look for other opportunities.