Seven jobs at risk as Merseyside becomes latest area to take up Trinity Mirror’s digital-first model

Seven Trinity Mirror jobs are at risk in Merseyside as the publisher introduces its digital-first "Newsroom 3.1" model to the area as well as North Wales.

According to the National Union of Journalists, three sub-editors, two reporters and one sport reporter are to lose their jobs on the Liverpool Echo.

It said another reporter role will be lost on the Wirral News and one "digital story editor" job will be created in the area.

Merseyside will be the fifth Trinity Mirror division to take up the Newsroom 3.1 model – after Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester. Two compulsory redundancies were made in Birmingham following the introduction.

Chris Morley, Northern and Midlands organiser of the NUJ, said: “Our members have known a Newsroom 3.1 restructure was coming, but the announcement has still come as a blow with an apparent substantial net loss of jobs if the plans are carried out as they are.

“This is in contrast to other centres where welcome investments in additional journalists’ jobs were made. We will be reminding management that digital output needs quality journalism just as much as newspaper production does if it is to be successful.

“Our members are at full stretch now, so we will be working hard with management to understand how they believe they can do more with less.”

A Trinity Mirror spokesperson said: "Trinity Mirror Merseyside and North Wales yesterday announced the move to Newsroom 3.1 – the audience-first newsroom that is now standard across Trinity Mirror's daily regional publishing operations.

"Newsroom 3.1 focuses all news-gathering resource on liverpoolecho.co.uk with a smaller, expert print team producing high-quality newspapers from a growing reservoir of digital content.

"These plans will transform the newsroom and will create new roles. However, unfortunately around seven current positions are at risk of redundancy and a period of consultation has begun."