Is it just me? (probably), but with James Murdoch’s announcement that this Sunday (10th of July) will see the last issue of the News of the World, only hours old, there is much speculation amongst my colleagues about what News International will do to fill the void.  The highest circulating newspaper in the UK and one of the most influential in terms of reputation and profile across sport, celebrity and politics not to mention one of the most profitable – can anyone see the Murdoch’s simply walking away from that?

Most people’s money is on the ‘Sun on Sunday’ or some such – after all, what are ‘sisters’ for?  But I have always personally found the concept of a separate Sunday edition rather anachronistic, quaint even.

Wikipedia’s NOTW entry states the paper has “a fondness for sex scandals” and “a reputation  for exposing celebrities as drug users or criminals, setting up insiders and journalists in disguise to provide either video or photographic evidence”.

So completely different from the Sun then?  Or simply “same shit different day”?

The concept of the Sunday papers was one that was established before the media delivery that we have today.  When working abroad, I always felt the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian had it right.  One big bumper weekend edition to wade through with all the in-depth analysis, features and opinion as well as the news.  No need for hand wringing over the ‘news’ there’s always going to be the TV.  The FT does it so why not our other broadsheets?

Personally I like the idea of a supplement that lasts a week or more, long after Fiona Bruce has signed off from Winchester Cathedral or wherever she is for the weekend.

Can you imagine any other business that runs an entirely separate operation to deliver essentially the same thing on a different day?

Makes a pantomime of the media business.

(oh no it doesn’t)……