Gannett has decided to stop printing USA Today at MediaNews Group’s Marin Independent Journal in Novato. USA Today is switching its printing to Southwest Offset, which is opening a new plant in San Jose.

Southwest, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena, plans to move its Redwood City printing operation to the new San Jose plant.

Gannett has been printing USA Today at the IJ for more than 10 years. Gannett was the previous owner of the IJ. Gannett prints USA Today at 36 plants across the country.

The switch is a blow to MediaNews Group, whose papers in the Bay Area are owned by a partnership that includes Gannett. The California Newspapers Partnership is comprised of MNG (54.23%); Stephens Media Group (26.28%) and Gannett (19.49%). The partnership’s Bay Area papers include the Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Marin IJ, San Mateo County Times, Palo Alto Daily News and Pleasanton’s Tri-Valley Herald.