Regional publisher National World has announced that it aims to become a “digital-only company” – but insists printed newspapers are still part of its plan.

Executive director David Montgomery, left, says that in future, newspapers will be produced on a digital-only basis, rather than being “the products of multiple industrial processes that should have been abandoned years ago.”

While National World is staying tight-lipped about the details of what this will mean in practice, the company says it will prompt changes to print production processes, and claims it will benefit from exploiting the intellectual property rights should its model be taken up by other publishers.

The plans were revealed in the group’s 2022 annual results, published this morning, in which it also revealed proposals to move its business units away from “rigid geographical divisions”, although it is understood reporting lines on its regional and local titles will not be affected.

In the report, David also announced plans to launch more online titles and a relaunch of the pubisher’s regional dailies this year “to relate more closely to metropolitan markets they serve”.

And he vowed to make small weekly papers “exclusively local in all content”, in an echo of his stated ambition to decentralise JPIMedia following National World’s takeover of the group.

In the report, David wrote: “Instead of a digital-first company, National World is taking the leap to being a digital-only company. Newspapers will be produced on that basis rather than being the products of multiple industrial processes that should have been abandoned years ago.

“Ironically the printed newspaper products will achieve greater quality and relevance, in part mirroring characteristics of social media but strictly curated.

“True to our publishing heritage we will make our small weekly papers exclusively local in all content – banishing the generic content that was a feature of previous and counterproductive cost reduction measures. National World is working with technology providers to support its implementation of the new operating model.

“At least one partnership will allow the company to benefit from the IP exploitation should the model be taken up by other publishers. Re-training creative staff as specialist content providers across all platforms is well advanced and 2023 will see at least half of our journalists equipped in video production.

“The new operating model also requires a reorganisation of business units away from the rigid geographical divisions in order to nurture portfolios of related brands and also to release the potential of certain heritage brands.

“In Yorkshire, Scotland and Northern Ireland these brands are prioritising specialisms in key topics like heritage, arts and culture, business, environment and rural affairs and making this content available on all platforms and supporting key advertisers for the longer term. Other regional daily titles are being relaunched in 2023 to relate more closely to metropolitan markets they serve and organised in formats reflecting online characteristics.

“Our new community media division will spearhead the drive towards richer and exclusively local content promoting education and regional commercial development and businesses – leaning towards a levelling up of the media.

“As in the previous two years there will be further online launches to augment our footprint and enhance our vertical platforms.”

The results revealed National World maintained the £9.3m profit it had recorded in 2021, although overall revenue dropped from £86m to £84.1m.

The group announced digital revenue growth of 26pc, partially offsetting a 7pc decline in print revenue, while the full training of 250 journalists in video content creation led to 43pc year-on-year growth with 357 million video views in 2022, and the doubling of video revenue.

It also announced it had more than 111 million average monthly page views and 42 million average monthly unique users across the publisher’s 60 news sites.