The north’s three indigenous daily newspapers will all roll off the same printing press every night from the start of next year.
The historic media move comes after Irish News’ sister company Interpress confirmed that it has secured the contract to print National World’s Northern Ireland news brands, which includes the News Letter.
The multi-award-winning Interpress newspaper printing plant already prints the Belfast Telegraph, meaning the unique situation where all three regional dailies will be printed under the same roof for the first time ever.
The contract to print National World’s Northern Ireland news brands, including the News Letter, expands Interpress’s portfolio, which already includes 48 daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly titles.
These include all of Reach’s national titles in the north, as well as Mediahuis’s Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life.
Interpress - established in 2005 and which currently prints 650,000 weekly newspapers as well as 50% of all national newspapers titles on the island of Ireland - says it will be recruiting additional staff as a result of the new contract.
Tina Callcutt, National World’s director of content sales, said: “We’re delighted to have expanded our relationship with Interpress to include the production of all our Northern Ireland news brands.
“We will be working with our local teams over the coming weeks to make the necessary adjustments to prepare for the transition to these new arrangements.”
She added: “It is with regret that we will be exiting our long-standing partnership with APH Carn, and we extend our sincere thanks to the production teams at this site, who have provided a high level of service to National World over many years.”
In March, Interpress was named Regional Newspaper Printer of the Year at the 2024 Newspaper Awards in London for the second time. The judges praised it for its “outstanding clean, crisp, consistent, world-class printing quality,” describing it as a “unanimous top choice.”
At the same ceremony, sister company The Irish News was awarded Regional Newspaper of the Year. Additionally, the Impartial Reporter and Belfast Telegraph Weekend Edition, both printed at Interpress, won Local Weekly Newspaper of the Year and Regional Supplement/Magazine of the Year, respectively.
Thomas Carey, press manager at Interpress, said: “This new contract is a significant milestone for our organisation, solidifying our position as a leader in the printing industry.
“It ensures job security for our talented staff and reinforces our long-term commitment to supporting regional publishing. We are proud to be investing in both our workforce and the quality of services we offer to our clients.”
Dominic Fitzpatrick, chief executive at IntoMedia, owner of Interpress and the Irish News, added: “This achievement underscores the strength of Interpress’s partnerships across the UK and Irish media landscape, with the press now printing all three of Northern Ireland’s daily newspapers.
“Securing this contract not only reinforces our leadership in the printing industry but also highlights our ability to deliver unparalleled value to our customers.”