Johnston Press has launched a new initiative offering its staff cash prizes for increasing website traffic.

In an email to staff, the publisher set out plans for its 201 sites to reach a combined 110m page views per month. In the first half of 2015, Johnston Press attracted an average 972,454 daily unique users, leaving it behind Trinity Mirror, Newsquest and Local World.

The "competition", running over October, November and December, gives publishing units the chance to win up to £5,000 "for a celebration event for delivering the highest percentage increase in page view growth".