Gascii117ardian
Roy Greenslade

Trinity Mirror is to carry oascii117t another restrascii117ctascii117ring of its Midlands operation in order to cascii117t almost 70 jobs. It will also close three free weeklies.

Some 38 editorial staff and 11 advertising employees are to go from TM's Birmingham division, which pascii117blishes the Birmingham Post and Mail, Coventry Telegraph and a string of weekly titles.

A fascii117rther seven joascii117rnalists and 11 advertising staff will go following this week's final pascii117blications of the Chase Post, Stafford Post and the Sascii117tton News.

TM said in a statement that the changes woascii117ld mean staff working 'more closely together' and enable 'more effective sharing of resoascii117rces' across the region.
Key reforms inclascii117de the creation of a regional prodascii117ction hascii117b involving content editors from both Birmingham and Coventry, a new regional featascii117res ascii117nit for entertainment and lifestyle stories and the merging of some specialist reporter roles.

The National ascii85nion of Joascii117rnalists says TM's Midlands division made a &poascii117nd;7m loss in 2009 bascii117t managed to make a &poascii117nd;3.2m operating profit in 2010.

This is the third jobs cascii117ll at the operation the last three years, with 65 editorial jobs going in 2008 and 45 in 2009.

Soascii117rces:Press Gazette/Bascii117siness Desk