Mirror Group takes over running of Independent

Mirror Group Newspapers is believed to have decided to take over management of the Independent and to reduce the broadsheet’s second section to a tabloid from May.

It is understood that the Independent’s senior management, including ad director Jeremy Reed, which currently reports directly to Newspaper Publishing (NP) managing director Sergio Cellinni, will report to the Mirror Group’s deputy managing director Roger Eastoe.

The management changes will take place once the Mirror Group and Tony O’Reilly’s Independent Newspapers increase their stake in NP to 44 per cent each, by buying out La Repubblica’s 17.5 per cent stake.

The title’s second section, launched in 1993, will be reduced to a tabloid in May to cut the size of the newsprint bill. A tabloid section two was just one option being considered as the Independent moved to the Mirror Group’s printing presses says Indepen- dent ad director Jeremy Reed.

The Guardian’s new literary editor Liz Jobey’s first job will be a redesign for the title’s Friday second section, which was introduced in September last year and is believed by senior management to be failing. The Monday to Thursday second section is also to be partially redesigned.