The San Francisco alt-weekly Bay Guardian has laid off three of its editorial staffers — about a third of its staff, according to reports from rivals SFGate and the SF Weekly.

The SF Weekly says that among those who lost their jobs was veteran reporter Sarah Phelan.

The cuts come just months after the Guardian received an out-of-court settlement from the SF Weekly. The Guardian, owned by Bruce Brugmann, won a $21 million verdict from a jury that found the SFWeekly sold ads at below the cost of production in order to take market share, an illegal practice under state and federal law. The SF Weekly and its parent company, Village Voice Media, was unsuccessful in appealing the case. The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed.

Editor Tim Redmond told SFGate: “Like a lot of newspapers and media companies, we’ve had to do some cutbacks … We’re facing challenges and have to make sure our revenue and expenses are in line. We’re looking forward to a future with, you know, changes in the publishing model. We’re looking to make sure our future is secure.”