I guess something like this was inevitable: the Guardian has announced plans for a downloadable PDF edition, with updates – presumably based on its website CMS – every 15 minutes.
Users log onto Guardian Unlimited and download an eight to twelve page A4 pdf featuring the latest news. They can select any of five news-streams: general news, international, economics, sport and media stories. (It) is likely to appeal to a lunchtime and evening commuter market wanting a live print-based update. It will be launched later in the summer with BT as the launch sponsor.
I’m only surprised it has taken so long. I remember, at the end of the last century, as I boarded an internal flight in the US, being given a rather crudely printed-and-stapled ‘newssheet’ of the latest headlines. It didn’t feel especially cutting-edge at the time, but maybe it was.
Inexplicably, the Guardian’s press release doesn’t include the accompanying visual; thankfully, the Press Gazette‘s virtual reprint of it does. It’s interesting to see the Guardian newspaper identity coming across so strongly; and highlights the fact that the Guardian Unlimited sites are now lagging very sadly behind in the design stakes. The Berliner edition, complete with new masthead, made its debut on 12 September 2005. That’s a heck of a long time ago.
Response
Simon,
Excellent subject matter! I am a veteran of newspapers in America and have switched to the bright side, I.T. I saw the inevitable fall of newspapers due to declines in readers, advertising and a rise in newsprint and gasoline expenses added to a very labor-heavy business model. It’s depressing. I read a financial anylist suggest that newspapers try PDF versions. I actually believe that is their best shot to hold onto their local advertisers. See my blog at sadbastards.wordpress.com.