Johnston also says it’s concluded a deal with user-powered reviews repository Qype “to integrate their digital directory proposition within the group’s local websites ... This will replace and significantly upgrade the existing in-house developed directory website.” It will also provide the sites with databases of local events.

But, though ABC results issued Wednesday for the same period show Johnston’s main network of local sites (about 300 of them) attracted 2.1 percent more unique monthly users from the previous year, some of its big properties are on the slide - Scotsman.com down 18.1 percent, LEP.co.uk down 18.2 percent.

Amongst other publishers, monthly uniques on…
—Iliffe’s main network are down 1.5 percent
—Newsquest sites are up 25.6 percent
—Trinity’s sites are up 15.5 percent
—Northcliffe is up 12.4 percent.

Total industry-wide regional news websites’ monthly uniques are up 10.7 percent from last year’s period, according to a paidContent:UK calculation.

Newsquest’s digital MD Roger Green, in a press release, hails “the biggest ever monthly average year-on-year growth in the five years we’ve been publishing audited audience figures”.

The trend is opposite in print - publishers papers saw “circulation falls across the board”, the industry’s own HTFP reports, including double-digit dips for many.

Group-wide Johnston company revenue is down 5.2 percent to £207.3 million but, like counterparts in the industry, Johnston has scored operating profit growth (up 5.9 percent to £40.5 million) after shaving costs (by 7.5 percent to £166.8 million)...

Johnston slimmed headcount from 5,640 to 5,417 in the six months as part of a project involving a new content production process.