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Publisher axes national edition launched with regional journalists’ help

A publisher has closed an edition of a national newspaper that it launched last year with the help of regional journalists.

Mediahuis has announced the Northern Ireland edition of the Dublin-based Sunday Independent has ceased publication after 14 months in print.

Journalists involved in the edition’s launch included Ciaran O’Neill, who left his role as managing editor of the Derry News to join the Independent, as well as Sam McBride, of fellow Mediahuis title the Belfast Telegraph, and Rodney Edwards, former deputy editor of Enniskillen-based weekly the Impartial Reporter.

Mediahuis, which also runs a daily edition of the Irish Independent, has told the Irish News that no redundancies are expected due to the edition’s closure at this stage.

Sunday Independent IE

The non-regional edition of the Sunday Independent will continue to be sold across Northern Ireland.

At the time of the new edition’s launch, Independent editor Alan English said: “If you’ve never read us before, I’d greatly appreciate it if you gave us a try.

“We are proud of our team of staff journalists, photographers and contributors – and the good news is that this team is getting bigger and better.”