Today marks a milestone in the 152-year history of the Birmingham Post as it is the paper’s final daily edition.

Morning commuters in the Second City will have to wait until next Thursday before they can buy another copy as that will be the first weekly edition of the new-look Post.

The change follows last month’s announcement from parent company Trinity Mirror that it was turning the five-times a week Post into a weekly.

It will cost £1 and feature 100-plus pages of news, comment, sports and in-depth analysis which the paper says would not be possible in a daily as well as a new daily subscription email bulletin.

In an interview with Post public affair editor Paul Dale, editor Marc Reeves speaks candidly about the changing face of the title.

Marc said: “I genuinely want to get rid of the irrational belief that there is something inherent in the status of a daily newspaper.

“As if it is something physical, that a paper every day is the only way for a business like this to do its job.

“It’s the readers and the businesses that advertise with us who have decided to make these changes.

“They may not have done it consciously but they have done it by demonstrating they are going elsewhere for news and information or want to get what we offer in different ways.

“You can be Canute trying to hold it back or understand what’s going on and do something about it. You have to be prepared to slay some sacred cows.”

Although he is upbeat about the future, Marc has decided to leave the title along with Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson, whose paper is switching from same day printing to overnight publication.

Reflecting on the decision, Marc added: “It’s been a massive privilege to be editor of this great newspaper.

“I never thought I would have the opportunity and it’s a real wrench to go. But I had always given myself between three and five years before I would look for new opportunities and I feel the time is right to move on.”

Comments

postman (06/11/2009 10:27:31)
Well they managed to spell his name wrongly as ‘mark’ in the piece and boosted a fashion feature which didn’t go in on the front – so the ‘right first time principle’ has already taken hold!

the red postman (06/11/2009 12:05:43)
“Although he is upbeat about the future, Marc (crct) has decided to leave the title along with Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson, whose paper is switching from same-day printing to overnight publication.”
No further comment is necessary.

Journo (06/11/2009 17:10:12)
A round of applause for Sly Bailey – doing a fantastic job for local papers.