Telegraph Calls Time On Weekly Media Section
The Daily Telegraph is to abandon its five year-old media section as part of a change of emphasis that will see it focus more on its key strengths and less on specialist sections.
Today’s media section will be the paper’s last and instead there will be an increased focus on foreign reporting and City coverage, both of which have traditionally been strong areas for the Daily Telegraph over the last few years.
It is understood that Daily Telegraph editor Martin Newland has transferred media editor Tom Leonard and entertainment correspondent Matt Born to the main news desk. As a result any media news or gossip will be included in Saturday’s paper, which also has a show-business and arts page.
A spokesperson for the Daily Telegraph confirmed there are a range of “exciting developments” currently being explored to replace the media section, but that nothing could be disclosed because of the current nature of the business.
Earlier this year The Times downgraded its media section in a move that saw the “agreed departure” of veteran industry commentator, Raymond Snoddy. Snoddy has since joined the Independent, which recently launched a new Media Weekly supplement in an attempt to break the Guardian‘s stranglehold on the media news and jobs sector.
The 24-page pull-out, dedicated to media news, features and interviews, made its debut earlier this month with the help of an extensive cross-media campaign spanning television, radio, outdoor and trade advertising. Other contributors include BBC director general Greg Dyke and former Euro RSCG London chairman, Mark Wnek (see Independent Unveils New Media Weekly Section).
The latest ABC results for the six months to August reveal a rather lacklustre performance for the Daily Telegraph, which saw its circulation decline by 1.2% year on year to 913,061. However, a number of major editorial changes are expected to be implemented over the next few months by the title’s new owners, the Barclay brothers (see Barclay Brothers Take Control Of Telegraph Titles).
Telegraph Group: 020 7538 5000 www.telegraph.co.uk
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