Mr. Moon and Glenn Cook, the managing editor, say neither Mr. Adelson, 82, nor his associates review articles or direct news coverage. “There’s never been any type of correspondence or information or calls from the Adelsons to do anything at this newspaper,” Mr. Moon, who reports directly to the Adelson family, said in a telephone interview.

In his first extensive comments on his ownership, provided in written responses to questions from The New York Times, Mr. Adelson said his family bought The Review-Journal “as a financial investment” and hoped to improve its profitability. “We believe it’s important that our Las Vegas community has a strong, growing, financially sound newspaper,” he said.

Still, current and former staff members describe a newsroom in which employees are mistrustful of top management — a wariness that began with the secret sale of the paper to Mr. Adelson last December and was amplified by the handling of articles related to his family and business interests.

“Morale was already not great, but when Sheldon acquired the paper it was like a boom got lowered,” Ms. Robison said. “People would literally joke about, ‘What’s going to happen if Sheldon buys the paper?’ So when he actually did, it was this bizarre feeling, it was just surreal.”

After 11 years at The Review-Journal, Ms. Robison left on Friday for a job in corporate communications. James G. Wright, a deputy editor, plans to leave in June. Another staffer who has departed is John L. Smith, a longtime columnist who filed for bankruptcy in 2007 while defending himself against a libel lawsuit brought by Mr. Adelson. After the casino magnate bought the paper, Mr. Smith was told by upper management that he was barred from writing about Mr. Adelson and another casino owner, Steve Wynn.

Among the others who have left are two reporters who covered areas aligned with Mr. Adelson’s interests: gambling and stadium subsidies.

“There’s no doubt about it — it’s disappointing; I’ve been sorry to see every one of them go,” Mr. Cook said in a telephone interview. “But we’re going to replace them.”