Life-long newspaper man David Louis explains why you might be surprised to hear he loves reading his JEP on an iPad

I’ve always enjoyed reading a physical newspaper. There is something comforting about the feel of paper in your hands, the sensation of turning the pages, even the smell of the print.

I’m from an older generation – I’m 84 years young – and I know that many readers of similar vintage share my appreciation for reading a physical newspaper.

My own passion stems in part from the 38 years I spent working for the Jersey Evening Post/Guiton Group. I was circulation and distribution manager for several decades, as well as a member of the senior management team from 1972 to 1993, and then I was elected to the Board of Channel Islands Newsagents Ltd from 1981 to 1991. So, yes, I think it is fair to say that there is a fair amount of newspaper ink coursing through my veins.

It might surprise you, then, that I am now going to heartily recommend going digital and trying the online ‘e-edition’ of the JEP.

You might well react to such a suggestion by shaking your head and immediately dismissing the idea of reading your favourite local paper via an electronic device – and it is a reaction with which I can sympathise.

I won’t deny that, initially, I felt much the same. In fact, I took a fair amount of convincing before I would even look at the e- edition, never mind becoming a permanent subscriber to the JEP app. Yet a permanent subscriber is what I now am – and I can’t get enough of it.

Far from being confusing or difficult to navigate, the JEP app is visually appealing and easy-to-use, so much so that even a tech-averse old-timer like me could work it out within minutes of first signing up.

The app really is incredibly straightforward, with each daily edition of the JEP available in full, from the news pages at the front of the paper to the sports pages at the back. To ‘turn’ from one page to the next, you simply swipe across and each fresh page will appear on-screen.

There are many advantages of subscribing to the e-edition. For instance, you don’t have to worry about the paper not arriving through your letterbox or about having to make your way to the shop to by a copy in the rain; instead, the paper can be accessed with just a touch of a button, anytime and any place.

If you’re an early bird like me and you want to read the latest JEP at 6.30 in the morning, it will be right there on your electronic device.

And you can also access back editions of the JEP. This means that if, for whatever reason, you missed the Tuesday or Wednesday edition of the paper, you simply log onto the e- edition and there it is, available in full for you to read at your leisure.

Now, at this point I’m sure some of you will be thinking: “That’s all well and good, David, but some of the things I most enjoy about the paper are the personal family notices, the weather, the puzzles – even the advertisements from local businesses”.

I, too, felt this way prior to signing up to the e-edition.

However, as I soon discovered, my fears were entirely unfounded. You see, you really do get the entire paper with the e-edition – yes, even the supplements such as Homelife and ecoJersey – and so you don’t miss out on anything by not buying a physical paper.

And, let’s not forget, it is far more environmentally friendly to read the paper online, which is yet another incentive to try the e-edition.

Of course, I understand that we all have to be careful in this day and age when it comes to what we download and install onto our computers and devices. Thankfully, the JEP app is very safe indeed and, as such, there is no worry of any bugs, scams or other such online unpleasantness.

Ultimately, it is about choice and it is good to have the option to read the paper online, even if, like me, you still occasionally find yourself picking up a printed copy of the paper when out and about.

My advice is to at least give it a try. Your daily JEP is only a click away. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pour myself a coffee and read today’s edition.