The biggest-selling newspaper on the Isle of Man has announced it is switching to tabloid format after 130 years as a broadsheet. The Johnston Press-owned Isle of Man Examiner will change to the new compact size on 10 May.

The paid-for title, which sells around 11,000 copies a week, was origially founded in 1880 as a vehicle for defending the rights of non-conformist believers on the island against the established church.

Editor Richard Butt admitted he had “thought long and hard” about the decision but said there was a “clear message” from readers that they wanted the change.

He said: “The Examiner has been a broadsheet newspaper for 131 years and we worried that its traditional readership might dislike the change.

“In fact, our market research showed an overwhelming preference for a compact format. That went across the ages.

“I even received a letter from a man who was 91 and a half who said he’d find a smaller format much easier to handle.

“The message from our readers was very clear. They wanted the Examiner to change. We couldn’t ignore that.”

Richard added that all the familiar favourites would remain – including the news coverage, sport, the readers’ letters, farming news and popular columnist Terry Cringle.

But he added: “We have also had a chance to rethink the newspaper and make some changes. The Examiner won’t simply be changing shape it will be a better newspaper.”

A recent edition of the old-style broadsheet examiner

A dummy of the new tabloid version to be launched in May