A regional daily has relaunched with more news pages and a “brighter, cleaner look” after readers were quizzed on what they wanted from the newspaper.
The redesigned Worcester News went on sale for the first time on Tuesday, with the aim of creating space for between 12 and 15 more news pages over the course of each week.
The headline font has been changed and the layout rearranged to pack more news at the front of the book, and has also involved reducing some features content.
The News has added specific requests from readers which had been picked up in focus groups – including adding a daily nostalgia on page four, a daily entertainments page with a new ‘what’s on’ section, a second page of television listings and a puzzles page.
Yesterday’s edition of the relaunched Worcester News
As well as the market research, the paper also acted on topical feedback received through its website and Facebook page.
The new design, the first in more than 10 years for the News, is based on that of its Newsquest sister daily the Bournemouth Echo. Its cover price remains at 65p.
A piece by editor Peter John explaining the relaunch in Tuesday’s edition reads: “We very much hope you like it, because it’s been designed with our readers in mind.
“We are constantly carrying out research and gathering feedback from our readers, and online audience, about what they like and don’t like in the paper.
“It’s not rocket science. Our readers consistently tell us local news is the priority, after which there are some regular features they are keen on.
“So recently we compiled a list of the things readers said they most wanted to see in their local paper, and went about redesigning it with that in mind.
Saturday’s edition of the News, prior to the relaunch
He added: “The paper has, we think, a brighter, cleaner look, is easier to read, easier to find your way around to your favourite content, and makes it easier for people to contact our staff with their individual contact details on main stories.
“But it’s the content that is the key, so we have reconstructed the paper to ensure a long series of news pages at the front each day, as it is the most important thing to you.”
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Given last month’s dire circulation figures, 7,748, down 8.7pc on the previous year, this looks like the last gasp before the Worcester News joins Berrow’s Journal as a weekly. Used to be a very good newspaper with excellent court and council coverage and I’d love to see investment for a proper revival.
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Shocking!
Does anyone seriously consider a change of font to be a story?
“the aim of creating space for between 12 and 15 more news pages over the course of each week”. Given six issues a week, this is an “aim” of two to two-and-a-half pages extra in each issue – but tabloids go up in steps of four (as a minimum).
Can anyone explain what “a long series of news pages at the front” means?
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