Sunday Herald format switch could have serious repercussions for PRs
The news that the Sunday Herald is to be the first UK newspaper to change format to a magazine could have a serious impact on the marketing industry, claims one high ranking PR professional.
The move by the Newsquest-owned title is a first for a UK newspaper and follows in the footsteps of recent mainstream media innovations such as online editions, tabloid formats and pay walls.
According to the Sunday Herald, the change will “better project the quality of [its] journalism” with a focus on in-depth analysis, reportage and high quality photography.
However, The Drum's blogger Billy Partridge, director at Grayling Scotland, has suggested that the new style Sunday Herald could include as few as six pages dedicated to news reporting, a move which could have serious repercussions for marketeers - particularly PR professionals.
In his blog Partridge said: "The shift from news to views isn’t in itself new – The Independent has for many years carried the ‘viewspaper’ title, and although it was not self-imposed, the paper now ironically carries a ‘Viewspaper’ insert for its comment pieces and reviews.
"But is this a trend? Has a newspaper become a credible vehicle for a journalist’s personal opinion? Of course, the dawn of the Leader article in most papers has all but made that debate redundant, but the Sunday Herald’s shift from news to views does raise a different question about media consumption."
The move comes as journalists at the Herald and Times group prepare to begin industrial action over compulsory redundancies.