Johnston Press is planning on restructuring its weekly news operation in Northern Ireland with the loss of eight full-time equivalent editorial roles.

The regional publisher has twenty-plus titles in the region (including newspapers and magazines) and has claimed the move will “preserve the future” of unprofitable news titles and offers an alternative to closure.

It has laid blame for the proposed cuts at the door of audience migration to digital and lower online advertising revenues “compounded by the likes of Google and Facebook” who compete for the same revenues.