A “root and branch” review of the Evening News in Norwich has begun, with the aim of transforming the paper.

Staff are currently being consulted on how to take the newspaper forward, following the results of research conducted by the Future Foundation, on behalf of the Evening News.

Editor David Bourn said: “We commissioned a piece of research into the news and information needs of Norwich, which we hoped would give us a road map for the future of publishing in Norwich.

“It came up with some quite surprising results which challenge the way we have been operating over the past 20 years.

“Nothing is sacred – there will be a root and branch review of everything.

“We’re still at an embryonic stage, the concept is there but there is still a lot of work to do.”

Among the findings to come out of the research was that people didn’t expect newspapers to break the news, and part of the changes could see the paper working in tandem with its online partner.

It also found that there was a “lost generation” of young people who are not buying the paper, and warned the Evening News not be be complacent in assuming that they would buy the paper as they got older, but instead to take the opportunity to find other ways to satisfy them.

Edition times are also likely to be brought forward, allowing the paper to hit the streets before lunchtime at around 11.30, although it would still remain and evening paper with a city focus, not competing with its sister morning paper the Eastern Daily Press.

David said: “We will also be reviewing how we get the paper into the marketplace. It doesn’t matter how much people like you – they won’t cross the road to get to you.”

Evening News staff are being asked for their input via brainstorming sessions and workshops, and changes will then be fed into the paper as it exists now to find out what readers like and dislike, before a new look is unveiled in the new year.

Staff are also giving their views on some initial designs for the paper, which have been created by non-newspaper staff from Archant Dialogue.

David said: “It will be revolution and not evolution. For years evening papers have been trying to arrest sales declines by evolution and not one has succeeded.

“If we succeed we will be the toast of the industry and if not I will be toast.”