The Express and Star, the UK’s biggest regional newspaper, has switched to overnight production.
The change means the paper’s presses will be rolling from around midnight, but editor Keith Harrison said this does not mean it is now a “morning paper”.
He said his journalists will continue to have later deadlines than national newspapers.
Writing to his readers, Harrison said: “What it does mean is that we’ll be available in shops earlier and readers who have the paper delivered may find it arrives sooner.
“Our long-standing edition structure will remain, our reporters will still be on call 24 hours a day and our offices will still be in exactly the same places as they have been for years.
“The changes will allow us to carry even more local news, with the return of our Saturday editions across Staffordshire, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton.”
He said the changes will mean the paper carries fewer national news and sport stories, but pointed to its website – which he has said could go behind a metered paywall – for this content and breaking news.
“That does not mean sacrificing the quality of your Express & Star, it means adapting to changing times,” he added.
“It doesn’t mean the paper in your hands is of less quality than before; in fact, we believe the changes will allow us to produce a better designed newspaper, with more in-depth articles offering improved analysis and background on all the things we work so hard on.”
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