TODAY IS THE last ever day to get your hands on a broadsheet edition of the Irish Independent after the company decided to scrap it.

The daily newspaper introduced the tabloid sized version in 2004, to accommodate reading in tight spaces, and had been running both editions ever since to suit the tastes of both types of reader.

However, figures for the first half of 2012 showed the Independent with an average circulation of 125,986, of which 37,926 were broadsheet – one of the reasons the company decided to go down the compact-only route.

Speaking about the change in today’s paper, the man who took up the post as editor earlier in the year, Stephen Rae, said “it won’t be easy to bid farewell to the traditional broadsheet” but they hope they can make it a “a smooth transition” for their broadsheet readers.

Rae also said the “same quality journalism” will apply but the different format is “one that facilitates later deadlines”.

The decision will have major cost-saving implications by saving on sub-editing, layout, pre-press, plates, printing and print runs.

The change follows a trend of moves from broadsheet format to smaller sizes throughout the newspaper industry.

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