Business before pleasure? The Post relaunches
The journalism blogosphere (a place where the word dinosaur is used more than any palaeontology convention) is awash with news of the Birmingham Post’s (and it’s owner Trinity Mirror’s) relaunch plans. In short (apart from changes in the production process, which aren’t unique to any newspaper these days — more cross platform working, job losses unfortunately) there were three big threads:
- going tabloid (in size rather than attitude)
- dropping the Saturday edition
- “focusing on business news”
While I might say I would prefer the Post to go Berliner in size (a la the Guardian) that would require a big investment, whereas the tabloid size is well established. Papers and magazines have been reducing in size for a few years, without any noticeable drop in quality, so I’m sure that will pan out okay.
Not publishing on Saturdays is really en extension of the decision to focus in on business readers. If the sales (2,000 lower of a Sat – 20% lower according to the Press Gazette) on Saturdays don’t produce enough profit as it is then a business focused paper on a weekend would struggle more.
Both of these things are related to people consuming news online a lot more — the paper version of a paper is more niche in use for a lot of people. It’s for use when travelling, or otherwise not by a computer. If you need to fold and fold a broadsheet to read on the train, what use are beautiful expansive layouts? “Editions” also become less important — if the Post manages to go “web first” (as is almost the case now, but not quite) then (to the people reading online) whether articles are in a physical paper on Saturday or the next Monday doesn’t really matter.
I read almost all of what’s printed in the Post, but rarely (company receptions, doctor’s waiting rooms, when I’m in it) do I see the dead-tree version — the chalenge for the team there is to harness people who read online only. A new mobile site might help, but it seems — as the “mobile web” does – to be a bit of a ass-covering measure, mobile specific sites are already being overtaken as newer handheld devices can use the same web as everything else. It would be a mistake not to do tho’, all the competition will do.
It’s the “business focus” that is the real news here, and will come as news to those of us that think the paper is pretty much focused on “business” already. Most “relaunches” tend to be decided upon to widen the readership/viewership/listernership/whateverership, in order to get more readers and more advertising, this seems to take a more modern line: to work the niche more, gaining scope for more targeted ads.
Are there enough people interested in “business” to carry the operation? That’s the big question.
The joy of the Post for me (who has only a passing interest in “business”) is the feel of quality journalism focused on my local area — we can take longer, opinionated but researched think pieces, convincing background information — which is more than anything other local papers produce (or that local TV or radio are capable of).
If the Post can continue to provide that then I’ll keep caring (and reading the bits I like online). If not then there’s yet another niche opening in the market for some enterprising interwebs to provide. I might even do it myself (getting some people in to do the quality and research bits obviously 
).
Post Editor Marc Reeves is promising to blog on the process of relaunching.
Disclosure corner: I write the odd blog post for the post, and I was no 14 in their Power 50 list this year, but they don’t pay me any money (nor I them;) ).
[...] I will post my thoughts a bit later, so if you want to leave some questions in the comments, I’ll try and answer them. Suffice to say there are some very interesting times ahead. – The Birmingham Post Editor, Marc Reeves, on the newspaper’s announced relaunch… – …and he also blogs about it. – Birmingham Post news story on the relaunch (we will update this during the day). – There are a few interesting comments appearing on Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson’s blog. – The Guardian’s report on the wider Trinity Mirror changes. – …and documents the NUJ’s reaction to the announcements. – Brand Republic report. – The Journalism.co.uk report on the Birmingham Post… – …and it’s report on the wider Midland announcement… – … and then on the change of roles for our editors. – Holdthefrontpage.co.uk focuses on the new roles for our editors. – … and the titles that are set to close… – … and has now done a report on the job losses. – Money invested and jobs lost lead in Press Gazette report on Trinity Mirror Midlands… – … and a focus on the new tabloid sized Birmingham Post. – The inaccurate BBC report (it’s not The Post cutting 65 jobs, but TM Midlands) seems to miss many of the crucial details. – The Express and Star report. – Press Gazette’s The Wire does it’s own round-up. – Paul Groves gives his reaction to the announcement on his blog. – Rick Waghorn comments on the job losses. – Roy Greenslade says he understands why the changes are happening, although he takes no pleasure in it. – His blog seems to have inspired much of the content on the Editors Weblog. – Justin Williams, assitant editor of The Telegraph wonders if regional papers will outlive the NUJ after the announcements. – The NUJ’s official response. – Jon Bounds offers a good local angle on The Post relaunch on Birmingham: It’s Not Shit. [...]
[...] yet I still have an element of concern. I found myself nodding in agreement as I read Jon Bounds’ thoughts on the plans and I acknowledge my previous role as Chief Feature Writer on the Post still [...]
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