Australia: Sydney Morning Herald to reduce width as part of Fairfax restructure

Posted by Lindsay Berrigan on April 26, 2007 at 1:01 PM

Publisher Fairfax Media will introduce a narrower broadsheet format for the Sydney Morning Herald and its sister publication The Age as part of a company-wide restructure.

The papers will remain at their 59cm height, but will slim their currently 41cm width, though they have not yet specified by how much. The change will happen in early 2008.

"Broadsheets have been our currency for 175 years, and we are sticking with them,” said Fairfax CEO David Kirk. "But size does matter, and it is time to give our readers what they keep telling us they want: a slightly narrower broadsheet so that they can spend more time with our newspapers."

Kirk also announced plans for complete integration of print and online staff at the Herald and its Sunday publication the Sun-Herald, later this year. Print and online editors will work alongside one another to ensure a focus on online publishing.

Working to streamline the production process, Fairfax will begin a round of 30-35 voluntary layoffs at the Herald and its Sunday publication the Sun-Herald, though they will include mainly production staff and not reporters.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald through Ifra Executive News Service