UK: tabloidisation brings circulation boost for major papers
Over the past two years, a number of major UK newspapers have gone tabloid, and one, The Guardian, changed to a Berliner format. The Independent was the first broadsheet to change to a tabloid format and it was then followed by the Times. Further afiel
d the Wall Street Journal's Europe and Asia editions followed suit.
All three UK papers saw circulation increases after their redesigns: The Independent's circulation rose by O.4% year on year, The Times by 7.16%, and in the months following the move to Berliner format The Guardian saw an increase in sales of over 60 0000 copies per day. Although, in the case of the Guardian, media observers have stated that after an initial spiked increase in the number of readers of the paper, the figures have settled down. (see previous posting)
Circulation and marketing director at The Independent commented as follows on the paper's redesign:
“We had to do something. Our research showed us that younger readers and commuters find broadsheets masculine, outdated, big and unwieldy. If you look at everything else around us -- chocolate, toothpaste -- it comes in various shapes and sizes for consumer use. The shape brings in a younger audience.”
On the contrary, the only UK paper to retain its broadsheet format, The Telegraph, showed a circulation decrease of 0.2% per cent year on year. Additionally, traditional tabloids such as The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror and The Sun all saw circulation slumps of late.
Source: Ad Age
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I'm not really sure why this took so late for implementation, especially as Andrew Marr was talking it up in the early 90's as Editor of "The Independent": the irony, is, of course, that this was eventually the first paper to make the leap and it paid off substantially. I was always maintaining (against heavy resistance) too that this was the way forward.
I enjoy being in Europe immensely and reading the papers; design layout is much more accessable in the Berliner formats (such as the New Guardian). Now that newspaper are starting to go this way though, it doesn't bode well for those who refuse to make the leap - broadsheets, instead of giving the impression of serious, high-culture publications will give the impression of being somewhat out-of-date, which is detrimental to any product but particularly so with a newspaper which pertains to be in the very moment of news-making.
Newspapers are undoubtedly starting to respond to website design too in the ajustments (where the layout is similar), and it will be intersting to see how they can make the leap next into interactivity.
I would like to suggest to you that these changes are part of a strategy that is being formed by all newspapers to cope with decreasing circulation and readership figures, due to the public turning to new media such as the internet or even wap services on their phone. I understand there is a number of factors other than new technology, but I find it odd that many newspapers have changed their formats at an age where the internet and television is being shown as the most popular source for news. If any one has any ideas or comments on this I would love to hear off them.. email me on l_pothecary@hotmail.com
I read the verdict yesterday, and I remember the main arguments of the verdict were "cache" and "database".
The expert(?) found an article in google's cache, which already was removed on the original newspaper site. This meant google had a database with the content of the article.This is against the Belgian Law (a special databaselaw).
But let's find this so called expert-report.?
You can find the verdict here
http://www.chillingeffects.org/international/notice.cgi?action=image_7796
On page 10 you can read the expert even found secured content because Google bypassed the paiement system...
I like the part where the experts investigation now have proven that google.com, google.be and google.be/news is owned by the same company :-)
It just does not make any sense ! Google is a free tool for promotin your brand. How much money newspapers are spending in promotion ? They don't want free one ? I spoke about it on my blog (in French) : http://mediacafe.blogspot.com/2006/09/en-attaquant-google-certains-diteurs.html#links