Former regional editor Neil Fowler has praised regional publisher Northcliffe Media for its strategy of turning small daily titles into “cat-killer” weeklies.
In a radio interview yesterday, Neil said other regional newspaper companies would be closely monitoring the success of the experiment, which saw the Torquay Herald Express, Exeter Express and Echo, Scunthorpe Telegraph and Lincolnshire Echo switch to weekly publication.
But Neil refused to be drawn on whether the Western Mail, which he edited from 1995-2003, would go down the same route.
Last week the National Union of Journalists claimed owners Trinity Mirror were planning to take the Mail weekly, but Trinity has flatly denied any such plans.
Asked about the issue on BBC Radio Wales, Neil said: “One of the interesting things that happened over the summer is that Northcliffe has turned four of its daily newspapers into weekly newspapers.
“The papers are what they call a cat-killer because it’s so big when it comes through the letter box. There is lots and lots of content. They are turning themselves into good weeklies.
“Northcliffe are being quite aggressive about it, very enterprising, and it may work. If it works, I think newspaper companies around the UK are going to say, if that works, could it work for us.
“I’ve got no idea what Trinity Mirror’s plans are for the Western Mail but I would be surprised if any newspaper company isn’t looking at what Northcliffe is doing and monitoring it very very closely.”
Neil also said regional dailies such as the Mail should be charging more for content, although he did not spell out whether this should be by raising the cover price or by introducing online paywalls.
“Papers like the Western Mail have become more aggressive and that’s to be welcomed. But they have got to find ways of being brave and perhaps charging more for content,” he said.
As well as the Western Mail Neil also edited the Lincolnshire Echo, Derby Telegraph and The Journal, Newcastle.
Earlier this month he published the results of a two-year study of the decline of the regional press industry which concluded that owners had failed to plan for the future during the ‘boom years’ of the 1980s and 90s.
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As Northcliffe has successfully managed to transform many “big” regionals into “small daily titles”, then most of its stable face conversion then. Sad days for the regional press, especially if some of the other owners do follow suit.
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Ok, so Neil Fowler has some good ideas. But he’s got to somehow make people listen. There are lots of editors-turned-academics out there and most of them live in cloud cuckoo land. Fowler’s challenge has to be finding a way to make himself understood and respected by those in charge.
One query though, on the ‘charging more’ point. Isn’t it a failing of the interviewer not to ask whether it’s print price or paywall he’s talking about?
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Love the ”There are lots of editors-turned-academics” Jolly Dan. Brings to mind ”those who can, do, those who can’t, teach”
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It’s hardly enterprising, it’s called facing the facts. Still, and much as I hate what’s happened to this business I used to love, it’s a better use of resources and does give you something to look at over the course of a week, rather than chuck away within 10 minutes. If they could just get back to lots of small stories – specially sports reports – then it’s like a return to good, old-fashioned weeklies. Like the Bury Times in my area used to be.
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