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Manchester Evening News increases emphasis on business coverage | Print |  Email to a friend
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
The MEN has responded to an increasingly dynamic local publishing market – and the desires of its readership – by increasing its business coverage to four pages a day and fixing its location at the heart of the GMG-owned title.
The MEN has responded to an increasingly dynamic local publishing market - and the desires of its own readership - by increasing its business coverage to four pages a day and fixing its location at the heart of the GMG-owned title.

Readers of the MEN will be familiar with the ‘floating’ nature of the paper’s traditional business coverage, something that has resulted in the section appearing at different points in the title and arguably making it hard to find.

In response to feedback bosses have now decided to fix this perceived problem with a static placing in the central part of the newspaper.

Added to this comes the move to increase daily coverage to four pages, allowing the editorial team (it is currently unknown whether editorial numbers will be boosted) to look at more in-depth issues.

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The move will be seen by many observers as a response to a rapidly evolving local market (see numerous stories relating to Crain’s, Insider, NXTBOOK et al) that has bred increased competition in the sector.

However, the MEN is heralding the move as more of a natural progression following on from the section’s “double-digit growth in revenue achieved in the past twelve months.”

Chris Barry, the paper’s business editor, continued: “The business pages have always been popular with our readers and we’re thrilled with the continued growth and recognition. 

“As the voice of Manchester we will continue to build on what we do well and drive our product forward for the benefit of businesses of all sizes.

“As well as our print product we will be improving our web offering further still in the coming months, as we are seeing strong growth in online readership.”

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

 

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  Comments (17)
RSS comments
 1 By Mr_Osato, on 12-08-2008 02:13
Hmm, was it three years ago that the MEN let the core of its business desk take voluntary redundancy? Well done Crains, it looks like competition really is good for quality!
 2 By The Pink 'un, on 12-08-2008 10:06
Didn't they have the business in the centre of the paper when Unger was editor? But it was changed to save costs etc. As Mr Osato says competition is a good thing.
 3 By tired of it, on 12-08-2008 10:13
The MEN is all about whether you advertise or not these days. Crains has the right idea focusing on editorial-led content.
 4 By the Red 'un, on 12-08-2008 10:23
indeed Pinko - and among the many other rumoured reasons Unger left/was pushed was 'cause he refused to take Sport off the back in favour of TV. What did Horrocks do? Another U-turn ultimately followed.
 5 By Interested bystander, on 12-08-2008 10:23
The arrival of Crain's has been good for everyone - no doubt. But I wouldn't dismiss the MEN. It may not be as sharp or buzzy as Crain's but it still reaches a huge audience and unquestionably exerts influence in the conurbation. 
 
It's Insider which is feeling the Crain's effect more - the property-led title is no longer top dog in town....and did you bother to open the plastic bag with the Aug edition? If you didn't, don't bother, possibly the most boring 10 mins I've wasted in many months.
 6 By Business reader, on 12-08-2008 11:49
The MEN Business is much more user-friendly than other title. 
I believe it continues to lead the way in terms of the major stories - despite its perceived lack of resources.
 7 By alan peters, on 12-08-2008 11:55
Sharp and buzzy? 
turgid and plodding more like 
i'd have expected better give the 'massive' resource Crains claim. 
I agree that they have helped raise the bar in terms of business coverage though
 8 By John Berta., on 12-08-2008 12:53
The MEN can't touch Crains. Crains has been a breath of fresh air since it's arrival. It's what Manchester needed. It was only a matter of time before the MEN responded. To little, to latein my opinion. Shame Crain's is only out once a week and is going to be subscription only online at the end of August. (rethink please) 
As for the MEN. It still gets some of the big scoops and I'm glad it's increasing it's coverage, but it still drops quite a few clanggers when reporting specifics.
 9 By In-the-know, on 12-08-2008 14:55
For Crain's fans - all the daily breaking news stories will continue to be online and freely available to all. Subscribers will have full access online to the stories, Lists and content published in the paper every Monday.
 10 By Oliver, on 13-08-2008 10:50
Its all about Crain's and rightly so. Has anybody noticed that NW Business Insider now has an ABC Certificate worth boasting about. Mostly made up of company telephone subscription requests rather than the more valuable individual written request. But at least readers should be able to get a free sub without going through the farce of being asked to pay. NW Insider is better off getting to grips with its idenity as a controlled free circulation mag. All thanks to the arrival of competition from Crains.
 11 By adam, on 13-08-2008 14:36
I can just picture it now..... 
 
In a high rise office, a group of desolate individuals, unable to sell advertising, are hunched over thier pcs typing frantic comments talking up their publication. 
 
A shame that the mutual respect that defined the Manchester media community has come to this.
 12 By Greg, on 13-08-2008 15:38
Sorry, but does anyone else get a distinct wiff of desperation? 
 
Something about the above comments are a little one sided!! 
 
So guys, please do us all a favour and stop posting inane comments praising your own publication and instead try and sell some adverts.
 13 By journo, on 13-08-2008 18:41
The MEN under Mike Unger not only had Business in the middle of the paper but it was on pink paper as a distinctive section. Indeed many professionals used to buy the paper, extract the pink section and chuck the downmarket white section into the bin or the gutter. Unger also started a monthly business colour mag that ran for a couple of years. Aladair Northrop reinvented the Business section before he left for the Scottish Insider.
 14 By Hack not flack, on 13-08-2008 21:08
The arrival of the US-driven Crain's has been a sorely and long-overdue addition to the region's media mix. 
 
For me at least - an many others it seems - it knocks spots off the MEN's business coverage.  
 
However, I am consistently surprised by the resilience of the MEN and its ability to still command such widespread support among the business community. I believe this is largely down the to the fact that paper, howver old-fashioned and parochial it appears, has a reputation for not shitting on its contacts and readers. Those who write off the MEN have misjudged the still somewhat affectionate psoition it holds in the market. 
 
Crain's, with its mantra of stories, stories and more stories - and preferably those it can break, seems to have a policy of getting the story first and worry later. This without doubt generates exclusives and gets the title spoken about, but increasingly from a position of wariness. 
 
As a woman who likes the odd flutter, I'd bet on Crain's being here in a few years. As for its amiable but desperate publisher, that's a different matter.
 15 By Dave Roberts, on 13-08-2008 22:51
I think the MEN is a great read, there's always a good mix of stories. As a former employee of the Co-op I though this week's article about the bank sale was excellent.  
It is getting stories like this, which prove that the MEN is trusted by the business community. 
I haven't seen Crains yet, what's all the fuss about? 
D Roberts 
Chorlton
 16 By Pink 'un, on 15-08-2008 09:47
I'm told it's not the reason why Unger left, but he certainly resisted the stupid idea (one of many) to take sport off the back page - and with the Commonwealth Games coming up!!!
 17 By Brian, on 15-08-2008 12:18
I frequently come across people who work in some role within the NW Business titles. But never anyone from the MEN. That is surely why stories in other publications seem to contain relevance, perceived or otherwise.

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