Taking a change from the norm for me today, I picked up a copy of The Independent. Despite its editor being Simon Kelner, a graduate from the same course as me (Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire) and its uniquely eye-catching front pages, I don't usually feel inclined to buy it. This actually surprises me about myself because I do often wish I could read a broadsheet that is less unwieldy than The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, which The Independent certainly is, the first broadsheet to move to a tabloid size.
But during reading it today, that is not the only feature of The Independent that strayed from a traditional broadsheet style. What caught my eye was on page 18, a five-minute interview with TV presenter, Tim Lovejoy (formerly of Sky's SoccerAM), which featured simply 12 listed questions and answers. This surprised me. It led me to think: "Does this really satisfy the newspaper's broadsheet audience?". And my conclusion was "no".
A feature such as this is good for those in the newspaper's audience who would like some lighter reading than usual broadsheet writing, but these people would surely choose a tabloid newspaper for that instead. Therefore, this particular feature serves little purpose in a broadsheet. In my opinion, this feature would not feature in a tabloid newspaper either, unless urgent filling of space was required, what I think its main purpose really is in The Independent.It is more characteristic of a magazine.
Just a small point now, but it surprises me nonetheless. Richard Morgan received a by-line for this interview. For five minutes of interviewing, I wouldn't have expected the newspaper to bother putting a by-line on this feature.
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