I don't know about the east side of the pond, but on the west side newspapers generally have been seeing declining readerships over the last several years. That has/does lead/lead most of them to try a variety of "gimmicks", including format changes, more color, new sections, etc., etc., in the hope of retaining readership. I suspect that it's a losing battle for them, as more and more people turn to various electronic media for their "news". There are also the doomsayers who seem inclined to argue that the television culture is continuing to "dumb down" society. Those of a more Darwinian bent might say it's merely depressing the lowest common denominator even further. Fear not, however. Collapse of the social prder is not upon us: merely and evolutionary spike. As long as there is Mudcat, we will continue to need to read.