Metro International is expanding its news operation, creating a so-called centralised content agency, in an effort to boost the amount of original content in its international editions, Journalism.co.uk reported Monday.

However, the publisher has reported an 83 percent decline in year-on-year quarterly operating earnings, thanks in part to slow advertising sales amid an overall market slump.

For the new content agency, Metro will hire up to 12 journalists, who will focus their efforts on covering news that is appealing worldwide, according to Journalism.co.uk.

Although Metro isn't seeing the best returns when it comes to sales and earnings, the company's CEO, Per Mikael Jensen, said the plan's aim is strengthening its central editorial team.

“When competing in the freesheet market you need to make sure you are the paper people pick up first. To accomplish this you need quality. What we are doing is adding content that it will be difficult for our competitors to get, simply because we can offer a truly global newspaper audience. If someone like Al Gore does one interview with us, he'll reach over 23 million people, and that is hard to match,” Jensen told Journalism.co.uk.

Globally appealing issues include issues such as the environment, health, celebrity and beauty, Jensen said.