MEDIA HEADLINER: Newspaper Society president determined to create change - Can Bowdler alter the NS's image into a campaigning trade body?(Brief Article)

The death of the Queen Mum, gawd bless her soul, was keenly felt across the nation, but few outside the Windsor family can have been as sorry to see her go as the Newspaper Society.

Its publicity machine seemed to rely heavily on shots of the nation's favourite gran visiting a local newspaper office in Scunthorpe or Swindon.

But the world turns and the Newspaper Society moves on apace. Its most recent release featured a young pretender called the Queen extolling the virtues of local reporters and snappers to support Local Newspaper Week.

The NS's own dynamic zeal in uncovering a new generation of talent has extended to its own seat of power. This week Tim Bowdler, the chief executive of Johnston Press, takes on the role of president.

Bowdler, 55, who succeeds Edwin Boorman, the chairman of KM Group, as the figurehead of the NS, has already come out fighting with a robust agenda. He, like all presidents of the NS, will occupy the position for a year. His supporters suggest that his determination will complete the transformation of the NS from gentleman's club to campaigning trade body.

The main issues that he has promised to tackle are lobbying on the Communications Bill in a bid to ensure that media ownership rules work in favour of regional press and taking the message of regional press' strengths to new and existing advertisers.

So why did he decide to get more involved with the NS, having sat on its council for several years?