This morning's conference was dominated by a discussion about the front page. Some thought that our lead story should have been on England winning the Ashes and that the picture itself, of hands holding the Ashes, was a bit too static and not big enough. The editor said we wouldn't be the paper we are if we didn't lead on such an important social story as the apparent early failure of the Sure Start scheme to help youngsters.
The letters department reported receiving 800 emails - double the normal traffic. Three quarters were positive, really pleased with the new paper, and a quarter are unhappy about changes. Ian Katz, features editor, admitted it was wrong to axe Doonesbury as the huge response from our readers had indicated.
This has been rectified. Doonesbury will return, and this quick response to readers' reaction is what the new paper is all about. Doonesbury support tally: 300 emails, 100 calls, 100 posts.
