What next for the UK’s newspaper industry?  When The Times was founded, circa 1785, it was somewhat divisive- separating the educated from the masses.
Half a century or so later, and events in Manchester gave rise to the city’s Guardian paper. At once, print journalism was at the forefront of social progress and political change. But skip forward another two hundred years or so, and things are looking decidedly unhealthier.
Institutions like the world’s oldest Sunday, The Observer, were the subject of closure speculation this year. While its sibling, the aforementioned Guardian, closed operations for good in its formative city, selling Britain’s largest regional, M.E.N., in the process.
We all know the web is wreaking havoc in editorial offices from Essex to Edinburgh. But it might surprise a few people to learn that the first new national weekday publication to hit Britain in almost 25 years is now on sale. Moreover, the parent paper has one of the lowest circulation rates of any national- suggesting a make or break scenario.
The Independent’s i began distribution on Tuesday, October 24^th. Made up of news and features, the colour title costs just 20p, and aims to offer an intelligent alternative to people looking for easily digestible content, without the usual tabloid sensationalism.
Obviously, as a PR agency, we welcome the opportunity to work with more titles to create targeted and relevant client coverage. And although online is the media of today, diversity remains the spice of life, meaning the more the merrier.
What will the future will hold for i, and by default The Indie. But in a period of journalistic doom and gloom, the sight of a new name on the country’s newsstands will come as a welcome break from the usual melancholic media news. Watch this space for more….