THE people have spoken!
When the South Wales Evening Post launched a debate on whether the paper should change its name last month, it provoked a bumper postbag of responses from readers.
With the increasing importance of the paper's website, and the 24-hour nature of news, the boss wanted to know what people thought about the name of the paper they read.
Many people were in favour of a change — and suggested some interesting alternative titles — but the overwhelming favourite was the current name.
Editor Jonathan Roberts said: "The readers have clearly spoken on this issue, and I'm delighted that so many people care so much about their local daily newspaper.
"The response has been phenomenal, and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to get in touch and have their say.
"While there was an appetite for change among a significant number of people, they couldn't decide, it would appear, on the best alternative.
"The most popular name, therefore, is the one we've been using for quite some time — the South Wales Evening Post — and we're proud to continue producing the news and views from the Swansea area under this trusted banner."
Mr Roberts said the paper's new website — which is being launched on May 7 — would also carry the name around the worldwide web.
He said: "We will now press on with our exciting plans for a new website, which will be called www.southwales- eveningpost.co.uk and will launch on Tuesday, together with some new features in the newspaper in the months ahead.
"Evening Post readers, whether online or in print, have plenty to look forward to."
Many papers around Britain, from Newcastle to Portsmouth, have changed their names in recent years, dropping the "Evening" bit of their titles as they move to a digital, online future — some have also dropped the name of the area they serve and are now just called The Post or The News.
Advocates of the change say the name of the paper should move with the times, and better reflect a 21st-century media operation where the internet is an increasingly important part of what it does.
But it seems the readers of the South Wales Evening Post prefer a bit of tradition — and a name that reflects the area the paper serves.
