Following the trend of afternoon daily newspapers, executives at The Capital Times announced Thursday plans to reduce print frequency and focus attention on the Internet.

After April 26, the 90-year-old afternoon newspaper will circulate two weekly tabloid editions in addition to producing in-depth online stories seven days a week.

“It presents the opportunity to do breaking news coverage that is not possible any longer with newspapers,” said Editor in Chief Dave Zweifel, noting that circulation has gone down in the web user generation.

Zweifel said he saw the move as a step forward, moving the company into the future.

According to Zweifel, the website sees thousands of hits a day even without the full force of Internet publishing.

“The reach of the web is incredible,” he said. “If we devote a large amount of our focus to the Internet, we are going to be able to put together a site that is going to knock your socks off.”

James Baughman, director of the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said the influence of multimedia, specifically the Internet, has changed today’s media culture.

“It has advantages in terms of being able to provide news 24/7, having constant updates and providing depth that you cannot get because newspapers are shrinking,” he said.

UW-Madison journalism professor Robert Dreschel said he was disappointed in the reality of a decrease in the frequency of printing.

“Afternoon daily newspapers have been in trouble for a long time, The Capital Times has been experiencing that trouble as well. I will miss that hard copy daily paper,” Dreschel said.

Katy Culver, a UW-Madison journalism professor, said she realized the decrease in frequency means a decrease in staff.

“The tough thing is going to be watching excellent journalists lose jobs,” she said. “Personally, that is going to be difficult to watch.”

Zweifel said the company would still cover news at the state Capitol, in the city and on the UW-Madison campus the same way it has in the past.

The news and opinion tabloid will circulate on Wednesdays. The arts and entertainment section will circulate on Thursdays for free within the Madison area and just beyond Dane County.

Although the newspaper plans to reduce its print frequency, it hopes to increase its circulation from about 17,000 to 80,000 by 2009.