Trinity Mirror has announced a restructuring of its titles in the north-west of England and north Wales, including the merger of the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post newsrooms, which will lead to the loss of 78 jobs.
The proposals, outlined to staff today, will be introduced before the end of March next year, and will see journalists across the division grouped into four centralised multimedia 'hubs".
Reporters and photographers will be replaced by 'multimedia journalists' who will take photos, shoot video and file stories for the web and print.
The publisher has today entered into a consultation period with staff and said it envisaged 59 editorial jobs would be cut. It said it was committed to voluntary redundancies where possible.
Related
The bulk of the job losses will come in Liverpool, where the 175-strong editorial team will be cut to 132 and the Liverpool Daily Post will scrap its Saturday edition.
Journalists in the Merseyside hub will work across the two daily papers and their associated weeklies, in what Trinity Mirror described as a 'streamlined production process".
In Huddersfield, the Daily Examiner will switch to overnight printing, with the loss of four editorial jobs – making it effectively a morning, rathern than evening, paper. Sixteen drivers and three supervisors will be made redundant as a result of the printing changes.
Content from our partners
Examiner editor Roy Wright said the changes to the title were 'both radical and necessary".
'Recent research shows there is strong demand for the Examiner to be available earlier in the day,'he said.
The Cheshire hub will provide material for the Chester Chronicle and its weekly sister titles. Trinity Mirror is planning to cut four jobs in this region.
The fourth hub, in Llandudno, will house journalists working across the north Wales weekly titles and the Welsh Daily Post – which, unlike the Liverpool Post, is keeping its Saturday edition. Eight job losses are envisaged in the north Wales hub.
Welsh Daily Post editor Rob Irvine said: 'Having to lose these jobs, painful as it is, will help secure the future of our newspapers and websites."
Trinity Mirror said the changes were in response to 'the current challenging trading conditions".
Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales regional managing director Sara Wilde said: 'We are determined to carry on producing the vibrant, entertaining and informative newspaper and online brands which are at the heart of the communities they serve in the North West and North Wales.
'To do that in the digital age, and in such difficult trading conditions, has entailed taking some very radical steps, which will revolutionise the way in which we produce our newspapers and websites.
'However, we believe the changes we are introducing mean we can do that while maintaining the high quality products our readers have come to expect.'
The latest job cuts come two months after Trinity Mirror revealed it was closing its Liverpool printing plant, with the loss of 100 jobs, and moving printing of the Liverpool titles to Oldham.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
