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Reynolds’ priority for the LEP in 2008 is better reader interaction management |
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Monday, 12 November 2007 |
 Reynolds is in bullish mood. “It’s an exciting time here” he told How-Do.
“Our new workflow procedure has proved really positive for all concerned. The story count in the paper has gone up markedly on the back of sharper and shorter news stories.
“It’s now become just a part of our business. To be honest, I’m surprised at just how quickly we’ve all adopted and adapted to the new digital age.”
His 50 plus editorial team in Preston has also responded well he said to the added responsibilities of daily video and audio reports. It’s become standard for the paper now to break stories online and follow up in print.
The shift into digital has proved more successful than perhaps he and others had envisaged. The paper and the web site are complementing each other. The web site is attracting new readers while the “substantially increased” interaction from online readers is enabling Reynolds and his team to improve content across the paper. He points to sport as an example beyond news.
“Getting regularly over 1,000 online responses to key local footballing issues is something that’s stimulating ad exciting when compared to the half dozen or so written responses such issues may have elicited just a few years ago.”
 Reynolds
“I want to join it all together in a more manageable way. You turn the tap on with the public but you’ve got to manage the subsequent flow.”
Reynolds is cautiously optimistic for the future of newsprint but he also strongly believes that “print media companies will make it (the digital transformation) and succeed before and better than most other sectors.”
Reynolds was at the Society of Editors in conference in Manchester last week and he was “struck by just how much convergence there is today and actually, despite what people say about print being under threat, in reality TV and radio are facing a greater threat than newspapers.”
Existing papers have a brand and trust he maintains. “No matter what, people have a limited amount of time and they’ll turn to brands they trust. They’ll turn to Google for search and to the lep.co.uk for local news – in all its variety and glory!”
The last published ABC figures for the LEP itself were 33,013 copies a day, a decline of 5.8% against a year earlier.
Reynolds said the figures for lep.co.uk were over 250,000 unique users during the summer months and in October rose to just under 300,000 users who read around 2.3m pages.
In response to the nagging issue of just how to monetise this traffic, he simply responded that “digitally speaking we’re doing really and increasingly well.”
Beyond his immediate circulation area, Reynolds is also bullish about the overall prospects for the media industry in the North West.
He cites the move to Salford of 1500 London posts, the pioneering work at UCLan, the launch of Crain’s, events such as the Society of Editors conference in Manchester and the launch of How-Do as examples of a growing confidence and investment in the industry in the North West.
“It is” said Reynolds, “a great time to be working in the media in the region.”
www.lep.co.uk
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