The new roles are first to be rolled out in Norfolk and North Suffolk with the new Editor roles announced for the Lowestoft Journal and Great Yarmouth Mercury, two of Archant's most popular weekly news brands.
In addition, the North Norfolk News, Diss Mercury, Wymondham Mercury, Attleborough Mercury, Dereham Times, Fakenham & Wells Times, Thetford & Brandon Times and Watton & Swaffham Times will be boosted by a number of Chief Reporter roles.
The investment follows new Editor positions announced last month at the Ipswich Star and Norwich Evening News as part of Archant's commitment to providing local communities with quality, unique and relevant local content, says the company. Previously, these titles had shared editors with their sister brands, the Eastern Daily Press and East Anglian Daily Times.
Chief Content Officer Jeremy Clifford said: “We are putting leadership back into our local areas, ensuring responsibility for local content rests with the local newsrooms. This change is about repositioning how we work to offer the very best service to our audiences and ensuring local journalism has a strong and sustainable future.”
Positions are expected to be filled by September with Archant's other regions to follow.
Sport will also be boosted with new dedicated football journalists. Jeremy Clifford explained: “Audience insight is at the heart of the operation with daily content plans fully aligned to what our communities are reading and interested in. For example, our sport service will be much more football focused as the data overwhelmingly shows this is what readers want.”
The investments follow a major recruitment drive over the summer with over 70 roles created across the organisation, says Archant.
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