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It's strange that, in Britain at least, newspaper formats have become so tangled up with notions of class and quality. Despite all evidence to the contrary - from across all of the major European markets and now here in the form of the compact Times and Independent - the tabloid format still equals downmarket in the minds of a surprising number of people, notably in the newspaper industry itself.

Which is perhaps one reason The Guardian (paradoxically, given its free-thinking heritage, one of the most class-obsessed organisations around) has decided that if it is forced to abandon the broadsheet format, it's going to plump for a European-style Berliner size.

This won't exactly be easy, given that there aren't any printing presses in the UK that can currently produce this specification (roughly midway between tabloid and broadsheet in dimensions). But, on the other hand, The Guardian has given itself time to sort that out because it's not planning on changing until at least 2006.

Guardian sources declined to take part in this Forum, saying no decision had been taken, but the advantages of the in-betweeny Berliner format have been well rehearsed. In design terms, you can still offer a number of substantial stories on each page and from a production point of view, when you have large issue sizes, you don't have to produce a great doorstop of a package (for instance, on a Saturday) as you have to do if you're running a tabloid format.

It would also - as Hugo Drayton, the managing director of the Telegraph Group, acknowledges - give The Guardian a unique positioning in the market.

But he's not at all sure it would be a good move. "The Berliner format is an attractive size and shape that feels modern and is slightly more sophisticated than a British tabloid. But if the stigma that was formerly attached to the tabloid format is disappearing, why not just go to tabloid?" he asks.

Why not, indeed? It's now undeniable that The Guardian needs to do something - and the ABC figures for June were further bad news. The Independent is storming ahead (up 15 per cent year on year) and The Times is up marginally, while The Guardian is down by more than 5 per cent year on year.

This, though, isn't just a question of circulation. From an advertising point of view, is the Berliner format a good idea? After all, if The Telegraph remains broadsheet, there would be three different formats at the quality end of the market. Which would be a pain for planners and would also involve extra production costs for advertisers.

Not necessarily, Steve Goodman, the group press director at MediaCom, says. In the tabloid market, he points out, there have always been small but significant differences in format - but that causes few problems.

He comments: "Publishers would have introduced the Berliner format ages ago if they'd had the presses to do it. From the consumer point of view, it is far easier to manage and yet still retains the perception of quality.

In terms of layout, The Times and The Independent have done a good job in reworking the content into the new format. The Guardian will have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work in a smaller space."

Roy Jeans, the managing director of Magna Global UK, agrees that The Guardian has to do something - but he thinks the whole Berliner issue is a distraction it could come to regret. He explains: "I believe that in ten years' time, all newspapers will be tabloid. The prejudice against the format, if it exists at all now, is probably a generational thing - The Telegraph's slightly older readers, for instance, will probably be the last to change their minds - but for most people, when they see the product, their concerns are dispelled."

On the other hand, Alison Brolls, the head of marketing at Nokia, reckons it could be a masterstroke. She states: "The Berliner format ties in with The Guardian's investment plans in new print machinery. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the new presses have a couple more trump cards up their sleeve."

Brolls would welcome a news-paper that could offer full colour throughout.

She concedes that there are still many issues to be resolved regarding smaller formats - particularly whether advertisers can be expected to pay the same price for a smaller-sized page as they paid for a broadsheet one.

But that's a minor quibble. She sums up: "We are entering the most exciting period in national newspaper history since the launch of weekend review sections in the early 90s. Let's hope the impact of such format changes spells good news for the media owners as well as advertisers."

"I think it's true that The Guardian (management) is miffed that their self-perception as innovators has been punctured. From that perspective, given the extra costs involved over the short to mid-term in moving to a new format, I'm not sure a half-way house solution is wise."

HUGO DRAYTON managing director, Telegraph Group

"Broadsheet circulations have been in long-term decline. It's been crucial to find a way to breathe life into the market and this does just that. It will be attractive to existing younger readers and bring in new readers who were previously put off by the broadsheet format."

STEVE GOODMAN Group press director, MediaCom

"I know the Berliner format gives more flexibility in layout terms and subliminally positions The Guardian as a more European product. But it feels like The Guardian is fudging the issue. Of all four broadsheets, The Guardian would most suit a tabloid format."

ROY JEANS managing director, Magna Global UK

"The Berliner format will differentiate The Guardian from the rest of the pack. No doubt this has been chosen not just to gain exclusivity in size but also to handle the sheer weight of The Guardian package on certain days of the week, given its hefty classified sections."

ALISON BROLLS head of marketing, Nokia.