Evening Post closing down

[Norfolk Royal]

Sad to see. Hope Watts will be OK as he has been excellent.



Following a detailed review of the Trinity Mirror Southern (TMS) portfolio the company has today unveiled a transformational digital-only publishing plan in Berkshire.

This move will focus entirely on developing and growing the digital business around the getreading.co.uk website, which has achieved unrivalled market leading penetration in the area.

In the last year monthly unique users have grown by 68 per cent (Jan-Oct 213 to Jan-Oct 2014) and the site continues to show phenomenal audience growth.

Investment in the digital only operation, which will also include an app, will allow the site to concentrate on the four key areas of content that matter to the Berkshire audience, namely: breaking news, what’s on, Reading Football Club and sport.

Combined with data journalism and community content the site will deliver a groundbreaking package to the local audience.

Simon Edgley, managing director of Trinity Mirror Southern said: “This is a bold digital-only publishing transformation that will re-establish us as a growing media business that delivers the best quality journalism to our digital-savvy audience.

"We wholeheartedly believe that the future of our business here in Berkshire is online and this is an important and pioneering step that might, in time, be applicable to other existing markets or indeed new ones.”

As a result of this change the operation’s Berkshire print titles, namely Reading Post, getreading and The Wokingham and Bracknell Times will close. This will see the reduction of approximately 17 editorial, three administrative and six commercial roles and the creation of around 10 new digital editorial roles and two digital commercial roles.

[PieEater]

The web site became particularly shit since they stopped accepting comments unless you had a Facebook account, that stopped 90% of comments. Somehow they think this is great

[Gordons Cumming]

Should this be in Club Policies?

Just wondered.....

[Norfolk Royal]

Should this be in Club Policies?

Just wondered.....

I thought that most suitable as it is not Team and would affect the media coverage of the club and therefore its media policy with regard to local print sources.

[Gordons Cumming]

Should this be in Club Policies?

Just wondered.....

I thought that most suitable as it is not Team and would affect the media coverage of the club and therefore its media policy with regard to local print sources.

OK.....

Maybe Anything Else?

Actually...I don't really care... just passing the time while I wait for the 5th time for a roofer to turn up.

[AthleticoSpizz]

The web site became particularly shit since they stopped accepting comments unless you had a Facebook account, that stopped 90% of comments. Somehow they think this is great

Quite, and what about those without digital access?

[Stuka]

This is clearly an 'Anything Else' post.

[Norfolk Royal]

I don't post on AE though as I'm told it's full of weirdos and racists.

[Stuka]

I don't post on AE though as I'm told it's full of weirdos and racists.

Ok point taken

[STAR Liaison]

Very sad news. Whatever anyone thinks of the quality, the quantity of local journalism adds to the strength of local football clubs and acts as a counterweight to overweening focus on mega-clubs.

The Post has been going almost 50 years and at one time sold 25,000+ copies a day - and we used to have the Sports Post on Saturday evenings. Many decent journos did their stint on the back pages - Dave Dibben, Simon Mares, Russell Kempson, Steve Thompson, Clive Baskerville among them.

The Post was also a good platform for getting fans views across in letters, Fans Verdicts etc. Being seen in print still has, I think, a higher status than being on-line.

[RoyalBlue]

It is relevant to the club because a lot of supporters use the EP as a source of info regarding the club. Or will we now consign threads about car parking, transport etc. to AE because the operators aren't RFC itself?!

The EP isn't exactly closing, more changing dramatically. After all, who in their right minds would look to stay in printed media in the second decade of the 21st century?!

Charles Watts may reappear as one of their new digital media journalists.

Incidentally, last year at a sports awards ceremony linked to the club, I shared a table with a well known name from the times when the EP sports reporters wrote solely for the print version of the EP and, from what he was telling me at the time, this development comes as no real surprise.

And just to further link this to club policies, it appears that the club may have contributed to the demise of the paper version since they used to get the local press along to cover stories, do interviews with players, management etc. According to the person I was speaking to, this material would then appear on the OS before the EP itself could get it out. This led to a feeling amongst the journalists that they were being used.

[madstadblues]

It is relevant to the club because a lot of supporters use the EP as a source of info regarding the club. Or will we now consign threads about car parking, transport etc. to AE because the operators aren't RFC itself?!

The EP isn't exactly closing, more changing dramatically. After all, who in their right minds would look to stay in printed media in the second decade of the 21st century?!

Charles Watts may reappear as one of their new digital media journalists.

Incidentally, last year at a sports awards ceremony linked to the club, I shared a table with a well known name from the times when the EP sports reporters wrote solely for the print version of the EP and, from what he was telling me at the time, this development comes as no real surprise.

And just to further link this to club policies, it appears that the club may have contributed to the demise of the paper version since they used to get the local press along to cover stories, do interviews with players, management etc. According to the person I was speaking to, this material would then appear on the OS before the EP itself could get it out. This led to a feeling amongst the journalists that they were being used.

MR CW seems a decent fellow but journalists reap what they sow. Objective No1 sell papers, attract subscribers, increase pages views. If there is a scoop to be had regardless of the consequence, collateral damage so be it. Ask Fordy's new (old) mates

[WoodleyRoyal]

The web site became particularly shit since they stopped accepting comments unless you had a Facebook account, that stopped 90% of comments. Somehow they think this is great

yep thats changed you can comment again without logging in via facebook

[Norfolk Royal]

It's true that official club sites put stuff up before the local newspaper. The local rag used to be the first port of call when the club needed some news out there, no longer.

That is sad because the local paper, although being largely supportive, should also provide some sort of backstop independent news from the club aside from the usual claptrap and PR nonsense put out from official sources.

That has become even more difficult for a local newspaper to achieve with clubs banning reporters from many grounds who do not tow the company line.

The real truth about the EP is that it has failed because Reading does not have, and never really has had, any regional identity of its own which translates into pride in, and consequent sales, of the local newspaper.

The reason it has been closed down is because it is not making any money any more, from a combination of falling sales and ad revenues, nothing else.

[Bandini]

Norrers got bullied off AE in a drove by cmonurz so is too scared to post a thread on there.

[Forbury Lion]

The web site became particularly shit since they stopped accepting comments unless you had a Facebook account, that stopped 90% of comments. Somehow they think this is great

Also shit that every other story is accompanied by a library image of a Fire engine or a police shield, unless they see one taken by someone on twitter who lets them use it.... to be fair, the twitterers from the EP do a good job, you report a news story to them like an accident or water being cut off and they're all over it, same with Meridian TV..... although I turned them down when they then asked to come to my house and film me moaning about having no water - Makepeace style sad face as I turn the tap and nothing comes out

It's the older generation I feel sorry for with no web access or idea how to use a computer or similar device.... I feel sorry for them having to rely on the inferior Reading Chronicle, assuming it gets delivered and the paperboy/girl doesn't dump all the copies in my hedge again

[Norfolk Royal]

Norrers got bullied off AE in a drove by cmonurz so is too scared to post a thread on there.

[Sutekh]

Agreed, Reading will only have one weekly paper now, the Chronic

Seems odd that an area the size of Reading/Wokingham/Bracknell (they're the supported titles closing) couldn't support a small evening paper covering all 3 towns on a daily basis

[Bandini]

Agreed, Reading will only have one weekly paper now, the Chronic

Seems odd that an area the size of Reading/Wokingham/Bracknell (they're the supported titles closing) couldn't support a small evening paper covering all 3 towns on a daily basis

And Mortimer tbf.

[dizzynewheights]

oh you