The South Wales Evening Post merger with Wales Online proves that size matters
Many readers of this website have observed that The South Wales Evening Post is not the newspaper it used to be with editions for neighbouring towns.
Now printed in Cardiff it sets out to compete with the national papers in the morning, rather than the evening publication it used to be.
The merger, which took place two years ago, is no doubt a cost-cutting exercise. Many local people, however, regard it as another step in the demise of the newspaper industry.
As the price of the SWEP goes up, the circulation goes down. This, of course, applies to all newspapers. As the circulation drops, papers become less attractive to advertisers, and so it becomes a downward spiral.
The Internet is also a factor, as it is with high street shopping.
Perhaps we are heading for a paperless and cashless society when credit and debit cards will rule the day. We must wait and see.
What seems a contradiction to all this is the METRO newspaper which is free when you can get it. Maybe we are coming to the point where advertisers totally support the production of a newspaper. It will certainly be the survival of the fittest.
More about the METRO:
Metro is the United Kingdom's highest-circulation newspaper, published in tabloid format by DMG* Media.
The free newspaper is distributed from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year's Day) mornings on trains and buses, and at railway/Underground stations, airports and hospitals across selected urban areas of England, Wales and Scotland. Copies are also handed out to pedestrians.
* DMG Media owns the Daily Mail, MailOnline, the Mail on Sunday, Metro, Wowcher, Jobsite and Jobrapido
....... Wikipedia.
