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Regional daily adopts flexible edition structure

A leading regional daily has moved to a flexible edition structure which could see it combining some editions on certain days.

The Eastern Daily Press moved from five to six editions last September when it revived its Fenland edition after more than a decade.

However the edition is now being combined on most days with the neighbouring West Norfolk edition which covers the Kings Lynn area.

Editor Nigel Pickover says that while the paper is maintaining its six-edition structure, it is now adopting a more flexible approach to editionising.

Said Nigel: “Last year’s launch of a Fens edition for the Eastern Daily Press was successful in helping us to make headway in an area in which we previously sold very few copies.

“The new edition was added to our existing five-edition structure. We continue to maintain our six-edition structure for the EDP but choose to deploy all or some editions as and when appropriate.

“On most days we publish a joint west Norfolk and Fens edition because of the synergy between the areas.

“This structure gives us maximum flexibility and helps us deliver the best local newspaper every day for readers across the region.”

EDP editor Nigel Pickover with the new Fens edition of the paper.

The new edition was launched last September with a front page headlined ‘We’re back!”

At the time, Nigel said: “This is a big investment into Fenland – be under no illusions about that.

“We are very proud of our product, and very proud of Fenland. Some have got the impression the EDP may have left communities but we didn’t and we haven’t.

“I must emphasise, too, this is not going to be a Norwich paper foisted on Fenland – it is going to be a Fenland paper for Fenland people.”

9 comments

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  • April 22, 2014 at 8:40 am
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    Good use of the word ‘synergy’ to explain a climbdown.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 9:21 am
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    Fantastic PR spin on the fact the relaunched edition didn’t last long. As ever – in and out like the tide.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 10:27 am
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    The EDP has contained very little news from the Fens in the last week. The project was doomed because few people from Ely, March and Wisbech are going to fork out 75p a day (£1.50 on Saturday) to buy a paper which, whatever the spin, is based on Norwich which is a minimum 60 miles away.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 10:32 am
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    I think the best and brightest journalists would have a job producing a daily Fenland edition from a news point of view. I pass through the area on my way to a holiday in Cromer and the area is as dead as a dodo.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 12:05 pm
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    If there’s so much “synergy” between the Fens and the West areas, it begs the question: why bother to launch a new edition in the first place?

    And the Fenland edition isn’t the only one to be quietly dropped since the champagne corks were popping. Most days there are only three, or occasionally four, editions of the EDP, rather than the six trumpeted back in September.

    “We’re back”? Not quite.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 12:07 pm
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    How can you trust a paper and editor who are so economical with the truth? Why not just be honest and say “We tried it for a while and it didn’t work”?

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  • April 22, 2014 at 2:19 pm
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    The EDP seems to be featuring more and more on these pages, and generally not for positive reasons. Very sad indeed to see a once quality paper now rudderless and floundering around.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 4:55 pm
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    It’s not just the EDP. It’s the whole company.

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  • April 22, 2014 at 7:47 pm
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    I think some of the criticism is very unfair. Nigel Pickover is one of the best regional newspapermen around. He is leading a top news team against a difficult background – and doing it well.

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