Less than three decades ago, it was observed that the first duty of the Editor of The Times was to ensure that he was not the last one. This somewhat morbid view was more than justified by industrial strife that ultimately led this newspaper to be silent for almost a year and a level of sales which did not suggest that an organ of record would have much of a future.

Happily, much has changed in the past 30 years. This editor has every reason to be optimistic about the commercial viability of a newspaper whose editorial and social significance exceeds the sum of its words. In that light, we announce today that, from Monday, this newspaper will be printed exclusively in the compact size first launched almost 12 months ago.

The modern duties of the editor are, he would submit, threefold. First, to deliver quality reporting and analysis of events at home and abroad, and in a comprehensive and compelling fashion. The second is to ensure that readers experience, and can respond to, a range of views. The third is to aspire to the largest audience possible for journalism of the highest quality. All those who might benefit from rigorous writing and vigorous debate should surely have the opportunity to do so. The newspaper should not by its design provide any artificial impediment.

On this historic day, it is worth noting that we are not as innovative as we would like to believe. When The Times first appeared in 1785 (then called The Daily Universal Register), it was a sixpenny compact. It was 13 inches wide and 18 inches deep, not much larger than the new version of the compact, which is 11½ inches wide and 14½ inches deep. Dimensions aside, our belief is that, in a modest fashion, vibrant and interesting newspapers contribute to a vibrant and interesting society. The press is, admittedly, frequently pious and pompous about the importance of its own role and freedoms. It is a legitimate cause all the same.

For some of these modern duties, the size of the newspaper is (within reason) irrelevant. Thorough, balanced and inquisitive reporting can be set out as effectively in smaller pages as in a smaller number of larger pages. Nor is size of itself any guarantee that a wider, and not a narrower, range of opinions is offered to those who choose to consume them. It is a matter of considerable pride for us that so many intelligent voices are able to argue among themselves, and have, at times, the pleasure of challenging the thoughts expressed in leading articles. The Times is Britain’s town square, and Times readers are active participants in the national debate.

What has become evident, however, is that a sizeable number of readers and potential readers, often but by no means exclusively the young, have been intimidated by the format. It does not fit easily with their hectic personal routines or the often cramped conditions in which they commute.

As we do not have the capacity either to create more leisurely lives or more numerous and comfortable seats on trains, this newspaper must evolve if it is to meet the needs of a majority of its readers. It was the Victorians who, with their vast armchairs and their tax deductions, ushered in an age of larger newspapers. The essence of Victorian Britain was, though, that it was a time receptive to considerable change. Change is again upon us.