Footballing excellence in Black Country

Privileged to help the The Express & Star and Shropshire Star launch their 16-page football supplement on Monday. With five teams in the Premier League, the papers have cranked up their football coverage in both print and online. The coverage includes a fans' forum for each club, cross-reffing to further comments online; the key moments of each game accompanied by a chalkboard diagram; a talking point; a new column by Ron Atkinson; some offbeat/fanzine type features and comprehensive stats. Great fun to do and the result looks splendid. Editor of the Express & Star Adrian Faber dropped me and my colleague Mike Brough a note to say: "Supplement looks fantastic! Thanks for everything." No problem. ... we really enjoyed it.

A regional Star to follow ...

At the Wolverhampton Express and Star this week with my old colleague, Adrian Faber. His paper remains the biggest selling regional title in the country - a position it has held for years. Why should this be? Well, I don't think it's rocket science:

i) It is family run, locally owned by the Grahams who believe in journalism, sound business practices and realistic targets.

ii) It has resisted the trend to turn evening newspapers into mornings (a misguided mantra by van drivers in suits purporting to be circulation managers). If something happens in the morning it will be in the paper, and the readers know that. The morning newspaper market is a crowded place where readers have ten papers to choose from, the evening market is an exclusive zone. Where would you rather be?

iii) It still has proper local editions,  eight of them, which run from a first deadline of 11am to 2.30pm. The paper changes the front and a substantial number of news and sports pages each issue.
iv) It concentrates on good content - loads of it - and not filler material.
v) It has a feisty former news-editor, who doesn't suffer fools or fads, in charge.
There is a lot more besides. The paper has had it tough, just like everyone else, but there is a robust culture, a self-belief and it feels like a proper newsroom. Perhaps the managers at some other regional groups, should take a closer look.