CN Group has appointed Nick Turner, News & Star deputy editor, to a new role aimed at accelerating the development of digital content for its newspapers.

Nick’s job as head of digital content development will see him working closely with editorial teams at CN Group’s newspapers – the News & Star, Cumberland News, North West Evening Mail, Whitehaven News, Times & Star and Hexham Courant, as well as its magazines and radio stations on their online projects.

Priorities are likely to include integrating print and online activities, further development of citizen journalism and sourcing video and audio content.

Nick said: “I’m immensely proud of the News & Star’s achievement in building up an online audience that generates 2.5m page impressions a month.

“One of the most rewarding aspects has been working with our small army of bloggers and it will be interesting to see what new opportunities there will be for citizen journalism as we develop our video and audio content.”

Chris Bisco, managing director of CN’s publishing division said: “We have already greatly expanded our audiences and Nick will help our editors to accelerate our move to true multi-media publishing.”

The News & Star was one of the first newspapers to host readers’ blogs and recently won a national award for its blogging project which has seen a range of people keep online diaries on the paper’s site. The blogs generated many stories for the newspaper which picked up the inaugural Best Use of Citizen Journalism trophy in the Press Gazette’s regional press awards this year.

Nick has worked at the News & Star and The Cumberland News in Carlisle since 1992 in a variety of roles, including chief reporter and news editor, and has been deputy editor since 2003.