The publisher of the Mirror and Express newspapers has posted a drop in revenues for the first quarter as changes to Facebook’s algorithm hit its page views. Reach reported an 8.5pc fall in digital revenues in the first three months of the year, which it blamed on the “well publicised” deprioritisation of news across social media platforms. Unlike publications with a subscription-based business model such as The Telegraph, Reach relies on advertising income, meaning changes in traffic from social media can greatly affect its revenues. Facebook, which is owned by Meta, has begun downgrading news articles on its platform, while it is winding down deals to pay publishers and has shut down its news tab entirely. Twitter has also taken steps to deprioritise news, including by removing headlines from articles, as boss Elon Musk tries to keep users on the website. Reach, which relies heavily on social media for referrals, said the changes meant its page views had slumped by a third year on year. The publisher has previously branded Facebook a “potent threat to civil society”. The publisher, which also owns regional titles including the Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News, is battling to turn around its fortunes as...