Moving forward with a modern Mayo

Moving forward with a modern Mayo


THIS week marks the start of another exciting chapter in the long history of The Mayo News as we produce a newly redesigned version of our weekly compact newspaper.
Our on site designers, under the guidance of our head of IT and Design, Kevin Loftus, have been working hand in hand with our Managing Editor Neill O’Neill and all our editorial staff over the last 12 months to give the whole newspaper a fresher and more modern look - and everyone is delighted with the finished product which hit the shelves this morning, Tuesday, August 5.
Here in The Mayo News we have always took great pride in the design and look of our newspaper, which has been printed in compact format for over 50 years.
Up until recently, we were the only paid for compact newspaper available in Mayo but both The Western People, and more recently, The Connaught Telegraph, have followed national and international trends by changing from broadsheets to compacts.
While this in turn has brought its own challenges, The Mayo News still has the unique selling point of being the only compact newspaper in Co Mayo which is owned and designed here in the county.
The Mayo News remains fully independent at our base here in The Fairgreen in Westport with our loyal production staff designing and putting pages together from scratch alongside the editorial, advertising, accounts and administration staff.
Maintaining these staffing levels has been a huge challenges during the lengthy recession we are currently experiencing but loyal readers and advertisers throughout the county have continued to support ‘The Mayo’ and we are very grateful for that support.
So with those readers and advertisers in mind, the redesign was undertaken and we hope everyone likes the new fresh and modern design.
It should not be forgotten that The Mayo News has won 20 European Newspaper Design Awards since 1999, with the highlight coming in 2007 when the newspaper picked up the prize for the best designed local newspaper in Europe.
Our new design is very much based on design trends which have been adopted by some of Europe’s leading publications and this more modern design has also allowed us to add extra editorial features, such as a more extensive Comment & Opinion section headlined by a new exclusive column from the effervescent George Hook.
Our sports coverage has been setting the standard in the county ever since the bold decision to bring out a sports supplement was taken back in 1996, years ahead of any other local newspapers in the country, while our innovative Living section recently celebrated its fifth birthday, and continues to be the only non-syndicated, locally produced lifestyle material available to Mayo readers. We have also maintained and improved our stand-alone Local Notes supplement which covers local news the length and the breadth of the county, and we will continue to produce other special supplements for events which are deemed hugely important for the people of the county.
Mayo is a county which we believe deserves its very own, independently owned newspaper, and with this redesign, we hope to inject further enthusiasm, quality and excitement into the local newspaper scene in the county.

Contact
The Mayo News
The Fairgreen, Westport,
Co Mayo. t 098 25311
e editor@mayonews.ie