A regional daily editor has admitted his newspaper may consider changing its name in future.
Yorkshire Evening Post editor Jeremy Clifford, pictured left, was quizzed on the subject during an online chat with readers to discuss the paper’s relaunch.
Jeremy said while the idea of putting ‘Leeds’ in the title had been thought about, there had been strong feedback from readers that the name should remain as it is.
A poll held during the web chat also revealed two thirds of YEP readers liked the new design, which was first unveiled last Monday.
One poster going by the name Wallace1 asked Jeremy: “Am I right in thinking YEP is the only regional not to have its city in the title? Why no name change? Be brave!”
Jeremy responded: “Thanks Wallace. There are other titles without their names in the title, I’m pretty sure but don’t ask me to name them.
“However, we have thought about it, but there was strong feedback from readers that they wanted us to keep our name as it is.
“I’m sure we will revisit this over time.”
Another correspondent asked him where he saw the YEP in five years time, whether as a weekly or paid-for publication.
Jeremy replied: “I wish I had a crystal ball, the pace of change is so fast.
“But I am pretty confident that if we have the relaunch and redesign right, then we will still be a daily paper in Leeds.
“Will it be free or paid? I would think paid for. There is already a free newspaper, Metro, in the city, so I don’t think that would be a workable solution for us.”
Another reader implored Jeremy to stop printing the YEP overnight, adding: “We want our news as fresh as possible.”
Jeremy replied: “Most of the newspaper has always been put together the previous day, and a few ‘live’ pages were kept to update in the morning.
“However, not much news really happens between midnight, when we print now and 9am when the deadline used to be.”
He also announced a new website for the YEP should be up and running towards the middle of the year.
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Unfortunately, I’m not at all confident that the relaunch and redesign is right: design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration. I had a look at the paper on Saturday and it is littered with “Did You Know’ facts in graphic devises or ‘Start here …’ as though the reader didn’t know how to read a newspaper. Jeremy Clifford also said that the old design was tired and dated: it was last redesigned as recently as August 2012, in Spain.
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They call Bridlington the retirement home for Wessies. So I think that circulation could be boosted if the YEP was changed to the Leeds Evening Post which would reach out to Loiners all over Yorkshire.
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The excellent Evening paper I worked for had a last 1pm deadline for same day news and a couple before that. It was all in a paper hitting the streets at 5 pm. Proper news gathering, and great fun meeting those deadlines.
All gone now, with stale next day news and sales falling almost out of existence.
Bring back proper evening papers!
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Perhaps the biggest feedback is the dramatic plunge in circulation Jeremy. I don’t think a redesign will do it – people want their news on the day, not the day after.
And how a paper that’s printed overnight and put together 30 miles away can still have Evening in its masthead without contravening the Trades Description Act is a mystery.
For the sake of the journalists still left at the YEP I hope it works
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My God, an editor who isn’t fat! Now that’s news!!!!
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The problem with regionals is that they are not.
Most concentrate their reporting on one town or city because they do not have enough staff to cover rest of area properly.
YEP and Argus at Brighton classic examples. Having lost readers in hinterland who they wont get back, they should concentrate more on their main towns. ( or , fantasy, get more staff!)
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“However, not much news really happens between midnight, when we print now and 9am when the deadline used to be.” Ridiculous.
The 9am deadline only operated from mid-to-late 2009 until spring 2010? Then the paper went overnight. Bit like saying top-flight football only began with the introduction of the Premier League in 1992.
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