Express Titles Face Upheaval

In a bid to revive its flagging Express titles, United News & Media has announced a major reorganisation at the Daily and Sunday Express. The plans mean the merging of the two titles into one seven-day operation, the loss of the Sunday Express editor and a revamp of both titles including the launch of new magazines.

Sue Douglas, editor of the Sunday Express for just nine months, loses out in the merger because the two titles will now have just one editor – Richard Addis, the editor of the Daily Express. In terms of the papers’ new look, it is believed that new colour magazines for both Saturday and Sunday papers are planned, as well as a new seven-day sports section, a doubling of colour pages to 32 and increased pagination.

Around 85 journalists will be made redundant in the merger, though it is thought Sue Douglas will be offered another position within one of United’s other media businesses.

The latest NRS figures for July *Newspaper NRS Figures – July, show that the Daily Express‘s readership fell by over 5% to 3 million, while the Sunday Express‘s readership dropped by 215,000 to 3.8 million. This comes at a time when the papers’ main rivals, the Mail titles, continue to win new readers. MediaTel subscribers can access the latest ABC and NRS figures in Press Planner in Talking Windows.

*MediaTel subscribers only

United News & Media: 0171 921 5000