Why a regional paper's revamp is all wrong

Today the Lancashire Telegraph presents a revamped "brand new look" and boasts that it is "a brighter, more modern Telegraph" designed "to be as easy on the eye as possible." I hate to rain on the Telegraph's parade, but the sight of this "new" front page is hardly encouraging. The predictable choice of splash and its presentation suggests to me a major reason for the decline in popularity of regional (and local) newspapers. I realise that concerns about the grooming of young girls is a topical story, especially in certain towns in Lancashire. But the tabloid-style treatment is surely inappropriate in a paper that is supposed to appeal to a wide cross-section of the residents of Blackburn, Burnley and their hinterlands. Why should a regional papers think a huge sans headline over a crime story with very little text is "modern" and exciting? Then there is the inevitable celebrity content. Though I grasp the reason for the EastEnders blurb - a Burnley-born actor is to join the soap's cast - why should the people of Bacup, Darwen and Oswaldtwistle be especially interested in the movie Black Swan ? That's a national, not a regional, feature. I note that the paper's opinion page has been revamped "to pack in far more views from our print and online readers." That's a good move, of course. Reader participation is a must. But that, as we well know, is achieved best online. I fully understand the desire to maintain the print version. This refreshment, however, appears unlikely to reverse the downward circulation trend. Sales, now down to 25,000, are falling by about 5% a year. Of course, it's foolish to compare that figure to the Evening Telegraph's sales during my time as a sub there (under the wonderful Harry Childs - anyone else remember him?) in 1967-8. Even so, we must have been doing something right with our much more sober editorial approach in those days.