“There is no such thing as a separate Sunday newspaper brand online (because) all are part of their parent website,” wrote Alton.

However, he doesn’t believe a Sunday paper website will bring money to publishers. The British audience spends an average 70 minutes reading the Sunday print paper, to which millions are still loyal.

Clearly a Sunday-paper proponent, Alton also argued that Sunday papers enable in-depth investigative stories, “that need(s) time and support, not always easy to give in today's hyperactive media world.”

“The biggest obstacle to Sunday papers having successful web editions is not their leisurely publishing schedule, it is the fact that they compete for investment with their own daily partners,” wrote Alton.

So should Sunday papers remain independent?

“We have to make the case for Sunday journalism as something special: once they become dailies that just happen to appear on a Sunday, then Sunday papers are probably finished.”

In the past months, there has been much tension at the Guardian and Daily Telegraph about talks of integration with their Sunday papers. In September Sunday Telegraph editor Patience Wheatcroft quit the paper, but since then business journalists from both papers were merged. Staff at the Guardian finally came to an agreement concerning increased integration between both editions.

Source: Guardian – paidcontent.co.uk