Basler Tageswoche with a new look

The smaller format not only helps to save paper, but also has advantages in production, writes print manager Remo Leupin in the editorial of the weekly paper published in Basel. On closing Thursdays, the Tageswoche thus gains a few hours before going to press. Even in the smaller format, the issue published on Friday comprises 48 pages in a single bound. However, there is no stitching, the paper is somewhat thinner and the design appears less airy. Images continue to be used to great effect.

Bundle print and online

The new layout concept does away with a fixed sequence of sections. In the future, this will vary depending on the mix of topics and relevance. A new feature is the "People and Stories of the Week" section with online articles from the previous days. The articles are updated and accompanied by reader reactions from the online edition. According to Leupin, readers will also play a greater role online thanks to a new debate format that replaces the previous one. The print edition no longer includes the culture agenda, as the online version is more comprehensive. Instead, there is now a comic strip. The new concept should help to merge online and print even more, Tageswoche had announced in advance. Thanks to a newly created team of producers, who prepare both newspaper and print contributions, the editorial forces can be better bundled.

Pending proceedings

In February, the Tageswoche hit the headlines because of falsified circulation figures. The local television station Telebasel reported that the Tageswoche was delivering just under half of its 2013 certified circulation of 26'358 copies free of charge to Basel and Zurich airports. This circulation trick prompted the Basel public prosecutor's office to open a police investigation on suspicion of fraud. These proceedings are still pending, as was learned on Friday upon request. In the meantime, Tageswoche has provided transparency on its current circulation. As of March 7, the total circulation amounted to 24'735 copies. Of these, 9765 go to subscribers and 350 to newsstand sales. A further 12'420 copies go to households in Basel and the surrounding area for promotional purposes. 1800 copies are also distributed at Basel-Mulhouse airport. And finally, there are 400 voucher copies.

Digital reach

The relatively high number of promotional copies serves to increase awareness and is nothing out of the ordinary for a new launch, according to the Tageswoche editorial blog. As a hybrid medium, it is not only the print circulation that is important, but also the reach of the digital channels. The mobile pages of Tageswoche were used by 164'000 unique clients (devices) in February, according to research institute Net-Metrix. The site recorded 630'000 unique visits and two million page impressions. On its iOS app, Tageswoche also records 2000 unique visitors per day. The figure is 8,500 per month (SDA).