The North-West of Ireland group of newspapers in Omagh has redesigned three of its four titles in its biggest editorial project. The new-look editions of the weekly Ulster Herald, Fermanagh Herald and the Strabane Chronicle were unveiled within days of each other at the beginning of this month.
For the first time in the group’s 100-year history, the papers – two tabloid and a broadsheet – are able to produce full colour on their front pages.
The 18-month project came together within a 10-day period, with the 11,655 circulation Fermanagh Herald first off the presses. Within 48 hours, the Strabane Chronicle was relaunched. The company’s ßagship title, the Ulster Herald (circulation 11,961, ABC July-Dec 2000), revealed its new image the following week.
Dominic McClements, editor of the Ulster Herald, who co-ordinated the revamp, said he was delighted with the response from readers of all three papers. He hoped the relaunches would help the papers continue their recent surge in circulation.
"The move to increase pagination, creation of new sections for sport and entertainment and introduction of colour was a mammoth undertaking and, with such a small staff, everyone put in many long hours to ensure deadlines were hit on time," he said.
The papers were designed by Tony Sutton of News Design Associates, the newspaper consultancy based in Toronto, Canada, which has been involved in recent designs at Glasgow’s Evening Times, Sunday Herald and Herald.
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