A leading figure at the heart of the Liverpool Echo newsroom has described the company’s pride at releasing its first ever regular Sunday edition at the weekend.
The launch of the Sunday Echo comes only weeks after the Liverpool Post was axed following 158 years of publishing, as parent company Trinity Mirror sought to restructure the business heading into the new year.
Head of Content Andy Kelly, who is responsible for selecting what news is published in the paper, told JMU Journalism: “We were absolutely chuffed with it, to be honest. You’re never quite sure until you see it on the news stand and we only announced its release in early January, but overall we feel it’s very good.”
The last time the Echo, which was founded in 1879, published a Sunday edition of the newspaper came in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster almost 25 years ago.
Kelly added: “It’s a great addition to everybody’s Sunday, and the best 50p you’ll spend all week. For anybody who loves Merseyside and wants to be informed and entertained, the Sunday Echo is a must.
“It’s a fast moving time in journalism at the moment, with a lot of newspapers in decline. But we still sell a fanstastic number of Echo’s through the week, so why not on Sunday?”
The first edition focussed strongly on local sport and its launch was celebrated at the Echo’s headquarters on Old Hall Street, where guests including Liverpool legend Ian Callaghan spoke about the importance of the newspaper.
Members of the public have contacted the Echo praising the new edition, along with a Radio City DJ who made his feelings clear. Kelly added: “Pete Price actually rang up and he just said ‘love it’ to us five times in a row.”