by: Spencer Soper | The Morning Call

The Express-Times newspaper in Easton is shedding about 5 percent of its workforce, which the company said was necessary due to declining print advertising sales and a sluggish economy.

The newspaper is cutting 12 full-time employees from various departments and those affected are being notified today, said Richard Diamond, an executive with Advance Publications, the parent company of the Express-Times that owns three dozen newspapers across the country.