View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
May 12, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 3:23pm

US heavyweight follows UK’s tabloid experiment

By Press Gazette

One
of the most traditional-looking newspapers on UK newsstands has decided
to follow the example of The Times and The Independent and switch to
tabloid format.

The Wall Street Journal is to downsize its Europe
and Asia editions to the new format on 17 October. It is part of a move
intended to integrate the print editions more closely with the website
WSJ.com, which is already the largest paid-for news site on the
internet with 731,000 subscribers.

Raju Narisetti, who is to
succeed Frederick Kempe as editor, said: “The International Newspaper
Marketing Association has looked at 16 papers that have done this and
every single one has got a five per cent increase in circulation.”

Kempe
added: “There’s debate inside newsrooms about the internet and most
people see it going two ways. One of them says that print is finished
and that everything is going on the internet and the other is that
print will never lose its value and that the internet will never have
the same value for people as print.

What we are saying is we don’t think it’s either or we think it’s both.”

The size change is being combined with offers designed to encourage readers to take out both print and online subscriptions.

A
“small number” of editorial jobs will be cut as a result of the change,
but these are expected to be transferred to a new weekend edition
published on Saturdays for the first time in the US.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

As part of the new design it is expected that fewer stories will jump from page to page, as is currently the case.

Many
of the lists of market figures will be transferred to WSJ.com, but the
newspaper is expected to maintain the same story count.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network