UK Paper Says 'Sorry' to Readers

As newspapers around the world frantically search for ways to keep readers, one British newspaper is trying an unusual tactic: apologizing for its past coverage. The Evening Standard, the only paid-for daily paper circulated solely in London, last week launched a billboard ad campaign around the city, including one that says, "Sorry for being negative." Other ads apologize for "losing touch," "being predictable," and "being complacent." The campaign comes amid a makeover of the 181-year-old paper by its new owner, Russian business tycoon and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev. Since purchasing a controlling stake in the paper for a nominal sum two months ago, Lebedev has toned down the paper's conservative-leaning ways in the hopes of attracting a broader readership. He is also launching a redesign that will appear for the first time Monday.