“I have bought every copy of the new Echo but I agree that it now no longer has the feel of a local paper. far too many national adverts, too much national news, and too much history. Local people really want good local NEWS. And I think the Echo is pursuing its own campaigns far too much. There are some nice storys about local people, and I suppose the larger paper does allow justice to these.
I am sure the E&E are making a fortune now.

Strikes me that this would be a good time to start up a local compettitor paper!”

“How many journalists have been terminated as a result of this change , I wonder ? Any idea , anyone ?”

“I have just looked for some Exeter News on the ThisisExeter webpages and it is not until I get to page SIX that I find some Exeter News, sorry but The Womens Driving Challenge is hardly news. If I wanted to read articles from the WMN I would buy that paper as I used to but the E&E. I hope they never decide to start charging for accessing this website because I for one would not pay.”

“Yes , you make a very good point H20ADE ...Since the E&E has gone weekly , the proportion of EXETER news has COLLAPSED on the ThisIsExeter website ...20% or so is Exeter news , I estimate . They really should be done under the Trades Description Act ! A relaunch with a new title : ThisIsn'tExeter(AlthoughItMightBeSomethingElseOK ) is in order...If this is a new media ' business model ', I'm a banana ...”

“The only reason I continue to buy it is because I need something to line the guinea pig hutch with and the free paper seems to have disappeared.”

“I would love to know the circulation figures of the E&E since it went weekly. Our local newsagent thinks it has definitely gone down. I agree with the comments about local news as what I want from a paper is news on what is happening in Exeter not Plymouth! the website is **** too. I know of several people who have put forward local interest stories that have been ignored in favour of what some C list celebrity is doing! I shall not be buying the paper again unless I want to buy a house (unlikely)!”

“It's worth noting the growth of local independent news sites that rely on citizen journalists, such as the PRSD: http://tinyurl.com/cjpfk3”

“So true. And this is still the case. I also suspect that the Echo could get in trouble with some of the national newspaper names. I read an article in one the other day, then read an article by this very paper, and it was verging on plagarism, some parts almost word for word, although a slight twist at the end (two paragraphs giving a slight local context - well at least the reporter tried!).”