Newpapers Get New Management : Publishing: Irvine Co., as part of its strategy to transfer management of its operations to outside companies, hires a new firm to run the Irvine World News and Tustin Weekly.

The Irvine World News and Tustin Weekly newspapers changed operations this week as their corporate owner, the Irvine Co., turned them over to a private management company.

All 45 employees will remain with the new company and readers of the newspapers should notice no changes, said Brien H. Manning, publisher of the two weekly newspapers.

The move is part of the Irvine Co.’s overall plan to transfer management of its real estate and other operations to outside companies, company spokesman Larry Thomas said Monday. The newspaper probably was the last of the company’s major divisions to still be run directly by the company, Thomas said.

In recent years, the company has contracted for management of its apartments, office buildings and even its boat slips by private companies, he said.

As of Monday, the Irvine World News and Tustin Weekly employees, including Manning, no longer work for the Irvine Co., shrinking the company’s payroll by about 18%. The papers’ staffs will work directly for Manning, who formed his own company, Manning Media Management Inc., to operate the newspapers.

Manning was hired 11 years ago as publisher of the Irvine World News, which now has circulation of 55,000. In 1990, the company began printing the Tustin Weekly, circulation 38,000.

In April, Manning said, Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren began discussing with him the feasibility of publishing the newspapers as an outside contractor.

The move “gives us a greater flexibility to respond to market conditions,” Manning said. “When you’re tied to a large organization, there are obviously certain channels that must be gone through to make business decisions or to agree upon business decisions.”

Neither Manning nor Thomas would disclose details of the agreement. Manning said his new company has been given a “long-term” contract with the Irvine Co. that provides incentives.

The change will not affect the Irvine Co.’s involvement with the newspapers, Thomas said. The Irvine Co. does not involve itself with the operation of the newspapers, their editorial viewpoints or direction of news coverage, and that will not change, Thomas said.