Desmond Seales Cayman Net News Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Cayman Net News is revamping the newspaper and returning to a compact format for all sections of the paper, with effect from Friday, 13 June.

The change in paper size is part of a medium- to long-term objective to begin printing the newspaper on island, noted Desmond Seales, the publication’s owner, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief.

With the acquisition of the Printing Centre late last year and its subsequent re-branding as Net News Printing Centre, Net News has begun to accelerate its plans to “bring home” the printing of all its titles. Most of the newspaper is printed in Miami, Florida.

Since December 2007, the TV Guide has been printed locally, followed now by The Bracker & Little Caymanian, the tabloid insert which is part of the Friday edition and which covers Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Newspaper supplements will gradually be added to the list of publications that are printed on island.

“This change in format to a compact size instead of the bigger broadsheet version also comes at a time when we are looking at our production processes in terms of their environmental impact,” Mr Seales said. “Reverting to the reduced format will save us paper and that is in keeping with our own conservation efforts.”

He noted that the global trend is also towards smaller sized newspapers and a number of leading publications have reduced the size of their papers in recent years.

Mr Seales said that the new size has provided an opportunity to re-design and add to the editorial content. “We’re adding more sports, especially local events, because our readers are keen to see more. Of course, this increased coverage, along with our usual sections, will be presented with the same bold and creative layouts for which we have become known. Readers can continue to expect the vibrancy and excellent colour reproduction that have been our trademark,” Mr Seales added.

Under the new compact format, current advertising rates will be adjusted marginally and the paper’s cover price for both the weekday and weekend editions will remain at 50 cents and $1, respectively. Advertisers will also benefit from the reduced rates and value-added exposure as their ads which appear in the print edition will also be posted online free of charge.

Cayman Net News began publishing in 1999 as a pioneering online news provider. Its rapid growth and early recognition by the Cayman Islands community as a leading authority on news, soon led to the establishment of a weekly print edition (tabloid format) in March 2000. Six months later, it became a twice-weekly publication.

In 2001, the newspaper began publishing three times per week and went daily in 2003. In December 2005, the newspaper converted to broadsheet format.

The Net News publishes a variety of special features and supplements, including the weekly TV Guide, Lifestyle section and The Bracker, which is in its third year of publication.

The paper’s online edition is in the top five of Cayman’s most frequently accessed web sites. Its online sister publication, Caribbean Net News, draws over 1 million visitors per month to its web site.