Northamptonshire Newspapers – publisher of the Northampton Chronicle & Echo – has announced plans to re-launch the Chron in a move to “platform neutral” publishing.
The re-launch scheduled for late May will comprise the creation of a new “platform neutral” newsroom at Northampton with significant investment in both print and digital publishing, enabling seven days per week publishing online and on a new iPad app with news updates around the clock and comprehensive online sport and events coverage. This will be combined with a bumper print edition of a newly designed newspaper once per week on a Wednesday, giving readers all of the key sections they currently enjoy as well as some exciting new developments.
At the same time the websites will receive a light touch re-launch with improvements to the home page and improved social networking and commenting functionality. A deeper change is planned for July 2012. As well as the launch of the new dedicated iPad app the plans will see a substantial investment in marketing for the re-launch of online and print publishing.
Commenting on the re-launch initiative, managing director Chris Pennock said: “Our publishing strategy going forward will ensure that we give our local audiences what they want.
“While providing our existing audiences with an even better product, both in print and online, we will extend our audience by increasing our online content and making it easier to access in the most relevant ways as technologies continue to evolve.
“Our focus has always been on local and we will increasingly benefit from that core expertise with the rapid growth in both social media and in demand for access from mobile devices.”
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