Virus Attack Hobbles Major US Newspapers

A computer virus hit newspaper printing plants in Los Angeles and at Tribune Publishing newspapers across the country, disrupting production of the Chicago Tribune and its other newspapers. The print edition of the Chicago Tribune was published Saturday without paid death notices and classified ads, reports the AP, while in other markets a similarly slimmed-down version of the Saturday newspaper will be delivered on Sunday. "This issue has affected the timeliness and in some cases the completeness of our printed newspapers. Our websites and mobile applications however, have not been impacted," Tribune Publishing rep Marisa Kollias said in a statement. Tribune Publishing also reported the attack to the FBI on Friday, the Chicago Tribune said.

"There is no evidence that customer credit card information or personally identifiable information has been compromised," Kollias said. The virus that hit Los Angeles prevented it from printing and delivering Saturday editions of the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and other papers to some subscribers. The Times, which runs the facility, said the computer virus infected systems that are associated with the printing process. Spokeswoman Hillary Manning said the paper has been working to fix the issues but added that Sunday deliveries may be affected as well. Biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong bought both the Times and the Union-Tribune earlier this year for $500 million. (More Tribune Company stories.)