FORTY FOUR journalistic jobs were cut yesterday at the British newspapers the Independent and Independent on Sunday in the toughest round of cost cutting at the loss making newspaper group. The Irish Independent group owns 43 per cent of Newspaper Publishing, which owns the British newspaper titles.

The job losses, which include a number of current vacancies that will not be filled, are the second stage of a restructuring begun last year. The management said no further redundancies were envisaged. The aim is to cut losses for the group this year to £6 million sterling. Accumulated losses of Newspaper Publishing to the beginning of January 1995 were £66.2 million.