Jonathan has a tremendous pedigree as a journalist - his previous roles include Editor of the Herald, Assistant Editor of the Daily Record and Editor of the Paisley Daily Express.
He has been working as a consultant with Media Scotland on the successful launch of Glasgow Now and Edinburgh Now - the sister titles of Aberdeen Now.
Jonathan will oversee the Now titles, as well as Media Scotland's 17 weeklies and the Paisley Daily Express.
The new role has been created following the decision of locals group editor Alan Woodison to take early retirement after 34 years with the company.
Allan Rennie, Editor in Chief of Media Scotland, said: "We would all like to wish Alan a happy retirement and welcome Jonathan on board."
Jonathan will be working closely with Helena Morrow, commercial manager for Media Scotland locals, on opportunities to grow the business.
