Johnston Press has seen its total revenues fall by 5% over the last year.
This is down to a fall in advertising, even though circulation figures have risen over the period.
In the trading update, the company stated that “digital audience growth remains a strategic priority”, with digital revenue up 14% and unique users across the group rising to an average of 25.4m a month, a 13% increase over the year.
Yorkshire Evening Post saw traffic increase by 47% and at the Sheffield Star it rose by 42%.
“We remained focused on delivering the priorities outlined to shareholders, amidst an extremely challenging trading environment,” stated Ashley Highfield, CEO of Johnston Press.
“In 2018, alongside our strategic review of financing options, we will continue to invest in the business, including recruiting 32 journalists funded by the BBC, and a further 21 editorial staff and 10 specialist digital sales staff as we seek to accelerate digital growth further while reinforcing our offering of quality, trusted content across all platforms.”
