Readers comment on new look Citizen

“Citizen007,
An example of where the newspaper has become is the story of the closure of Jason Jones Autocentre, first a weak article on the closure about the health of it's owner, no interviews with the 8 staff out of a job, customers who feel they have been let down or any attempt to investigate the alleged debts & money owed by the company. Two days later the paper publishes the owner's comments and seems to accept it. Today I find more approx. 20 comments have been removed on TiG. No wonder many of us feel that the paper are treating this like a light news story due to the fact JJA was a big advertiser every night in the dwindling cars for sale section.”

“CITIZEN007,
Agree with you, I think this is a last ditch effort to save the titles as a DAILY paper, many regional papers are going once a week. I just cannot understand how the 'new(ish) look' can be triumphed as a success given the following:

1. The paper has gone up by THREE times the current inflation rate to 50p
2. The Saturday edition no longer has a TV guide for the following week
3. The on-line comments are not now featured in a column
4. The Thursday house buyer is a waste of time when you can see more pictures with an easy postcode search
5. The classified ads & cars are better served with ebay these days
6. The letters page has less letters
7. The paper says it's listening but never comments on our consistent unhappy comments

But what do I know? I do know that Tesco are sending many more un-sold papers back than a few weeks ago, before they even used to run out on some days.”

“oh yeah, where is the old eblem of lady? the new bright colours probably will attract more people to the front page, but the old Gloucester Journal badge- bring it back please!”

“why do you always tell little white lies in the Citizen, Echo etc eg. "people across Gloucester are snapping up copies of the Citizen" snapping up- you always use this paricular wording- turns people off in my opinion. your newspaper sales are down to about 19,000, from much more, because your news is watered down and weak. just read the other comments here! your readers are not pleased. basing your news sales team in Cheltenham is not good either. Netty your manageress for this department is rude, out of touch and should be un loaded like many of your failing team. your news is also not local for all, but right wing drivvel. do you think half of Gloucester and Stroud etc want to read that bias, police chasing news? NO heres a story from the heart of Gloucester people and shoppers- the Gloucester Bus Station is old and decrepit- the paving at the waiting area is distgusting, stained and smelly, the toilet block is awful and both paving and toilets need replacing- Station is a shame for all us people who use buses in glos! old reporters went out of the office, hounding for stories with a REPORTERS NOTE BOOK and pen- do many of your reporters have a pad?”

“What lovely hair our new citizen has. A perfect example.”

“not impressed with the new coloured heading, looks a bit tacky plus where is the old logo? Also what had happened to the Weekend magazine! I'll be cancelling my saturday paper & buying one with a tv guide!!”

“not impressed with the new look - the colours are tacky, where is the Gloucester Journal logo on the front page & where is the TV guide!!?! I'll be cancelling my saturday paper to buy one with the tv in it!”

“spindles12 - if you are looking for investigative journalism or incisive analysis, you won't find it in any rag today - times have moved on, journalists cost money and papers subsist on advert revenue - sale of copies even at 60p or more does not pay for itself - if you have noticed, many local newspapers have been bought by media groups - bland common stream of reports from the same pot, some local variations/content. Gone are the days of the editor passionate about local events and people.

People get their news from so many sources today and unsure which one to trust. Newspapers are no longer opinion formers. So need to take it for what it is - a few tit bits, news reports based on press releases from the council, the MP or local businesses/groups, and some national bits thrown in. and of course the Houses or Cars for sale pages.”

“Robert Raikes must be spinning in his grave!

To quote from a Citizen article in 2009:- "The Citizen began life on April 9 1722 as the Gloucester Journal, making it the second oldest continuously published newspaper in the world.

It was founded by William Dicey and Robert Raikes senior who in 1725 took total control and handed the reins over to his son Robert Raikes junior in 1758.

On May 1 1876, the first edition of The Citizen hit the shelves two months after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone"

290 years exactly from the formation of the Journal and 136 years from the start of the Citizen and now all those years of history are going down the pan. I wonder how much longer it will last before it either goes weekly or closes down altogether and what a shame the latter option would be. People want to read NEWS and as far as I'm concerned that doesn't include half page reports by the Editor or stuff that is better suited to a village newsletter. The Citizen is expensive, even more expensive than a national newspaper in fact, and it will be a very sad day when, or if, this long established newspaper has to end because of a bit of meddling to make it "better".”

“I went into Asda to reluctantly pay 10p more for today's Echo and to my AMAZEMENT the new much hyped 'glossy' (it's not very glossy!) Weekend magazine was equally thin and doesn't seem to have the next 6 days TV guide in it now - so it went back on the shelf I'm afraid!!

Everyone there were complaining about the poor value and many customers bought The Sun for 50p which has a TV guide in it, about three times as thick as the new Weekend magazine I'd say.

I reckon The Citizen/Echo have made a real mistake this week, 10% higher price and you get LESS for your money now.”