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New research: Some 198 UK local newspapers have closed since 2005

By Jasper Cox

Some 46 local and regional newspapers have closed since the beginning of 2015. This compares with the launch of 29 newspapers, making a net loss of 17.

According to Press Gazette’s tally this makes a net loss of 198 local newspapers since 2005.

Research by the Media Reform Coalition found their were 1,122 local newspaper titles in the UK in 2015.

In addition to the overall reduction in the number of titles, the total number of journalists working on local newspapers is reckoned to have at least halved since 2005 (as has the industry’s revenue). Numerous daily titles have gone to weekly publication, and many weekly titles no longer have dedicated editorial teams (instead sharing resources across a group).

The newspapers that have closed and launched in the past two years are visible on the map above. Green indicates a launch, red indicates a closure and blue indicates a newspaper which launched and then closed.

Three newspapers launched and closed in the last two years. This includes 24, the daily set up for north England and south-west Scotland which closed just one month after launching earlier this year after not having enough sales.

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Elsewhere, several newspapers merged, including the Dewsbury Reporter and the Mirfield Reporter and Todmorden News and Hebden Bridge News.

The North West and Yorkshire have been most affected by closures.  In Yorkshire, 11 newspapers closed and two opened.

In the North West, 12 newspapers closed and three opened. This was in large part after Trinity Mirror replaced eight free weeklies in the area with the Manchester Weekly News.

It was a healthier picture in Wales, where three newspapers opened, all by Wales-based MegaGroup.

In London, seven newspaper opened over the last two years, including four by Tindle Newspapers.

Johnston Press closed 19 newspapers and merged a further six newspapers into three.

Trinity Mirror has closed 17 newspapers, launched one, as well as launching and closing the Grantham Target.

 

2015 saw the launch of 19 newspapers and the closure of 33; in 2016 there were 11 launches and 13 closures.

Press Gazette calculated that between 2012 and 2015, 48 newspapers closed and 39 launched.

Previous Press Gazette research indicated that between 2005 and 2011, 242 newspapers closed and 70 launched.

Full data:

Title Launched
/closed
Date reported Frequency Cost  Publisher 
Norwich Advertiser closed 09 Jun 2016 free Archant
Norwich Extra launched 09 Jun 2016 Weekly free Archant
Wanstead & Woodford Recorder launched 27 Oct 2016 weekly free Archant
24 launched and closed 28 Jul 2016 Daily paid CN Group
Cambridge Independent launched 20 Sep 2016 Weekly paid Iliffe Media
The Hawick Paper launched 22 Aug 2016 Weekly paid Jason Marshall
Peak Courier closed 07 Oct 2015 weekly Free Johnston Press
Dronfield Advertiser closed 07 Oct 2015 weekly free Johnston Press
Eckington Leader closed 07 Oct 2015 weekly Free Johnston Press
Lutterworth Mail closed 07 Oct 2015 free Johnston Press
Norfolk Citizen closed 07 Oct 2015 Free Johnston Press
Northampton Mercury closed 07 Oct 2015 free Johnston Press
Peterborough Citizen closed 07 Oct 2015 Free Johnston Press
Rugby Review closed 07 Oct 2015 Free Johnston Press
Sheffield Gazette closed 07 Oct 2015 Free Johnston Press
South Bognor View closed 07 Oct 2015 Free Johnston Press
South Elms Gazette closed 07 Oct 2015 Free Johnston Press
Hebden Bridge Times closed 13 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Hebden Bridge & Todmorden Times launched 13 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Todmorden News closed 13 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Dewsbury Reporter closed 21 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Dewsbury Reporter and Mirfield Reporter launched 21 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Mirfield Reporter closed 21 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Antrim Times closed 22 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Ballymena Times closed 22 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Ballymena Times & Antrim Times launched 22 Oct 2015 weekly Johnston Press
Sunday  Journal closed 22 Oct 2015 Weekly Johnston Press
East Lothian News closed 22 Oct 2015 Johnston Press
Musselburgh News closed 22 Oct 2015 Johnston Press
St Helens Reporter closed 23 Oct 2015 weekly free Johnston Press
Beverley Guardian closed 10 Aug 2016 weekly free Johnston Press
Driffield Times & Post closed 10 Aug 2016 weekly paid Johnston Press
Malton and Pickering Mercury closed 10 Aug 2016 weekly Johnston Press
South Yorkshire Times closed 08 Dec 2016 weekly Johnston Press
Carmarthenshire Herald launched 24 Feb 2015 Weekly Paid MegaGroup
Llanelli Herald launched 24 Feb 2015 Weekly paid MegaGroup
Ceredigion Herald launched 31 Mar 2016 Weekly paid MegaGroup
Wilmslow Guardian launched 14 May 2015 Weekly paid Newsquest
Lancashire Telegraph Asian Image launched 03 Aug 2015 Weekly free Newsquest
Droitwich News launched 04 Sep 2015 Daily paid Newsquest
Oxfordshire Star launched 25 May 2016 weekly free Newsquest
Eastbourne Independent launched and closed 11 Aug 2016 weekly free Newsquest
The Times of Tunbridge Wells launched 06 Jan 2015 weekly free One Media
The Times of Tonbridge launched 04 Mar 2016 Weekly free One Media
City Matters launched 14 Sep 2016 weekly free Roy Court
The Moorlander launched 08 Jun 2016 Fortnightly paid Stuart Clarke
Oxford Paper launched 26 Jul 2016 Weekly paid Taylor Newspapers
Catford Mercury launched 13 May 2015 weekly free Tindle Newspapers
Plumstead Mercury launched 13 May 2015 weekly free Tindle Newspapers
Abbey Wood & Thamesmead Mercury launched 13 May 2015 weekly free Tindle Newspapers
Woolwich Mercury launched 13 May 2015 weekly free Tindle Newspapers
Fulham Chronicle launched 19 Feb 2015 weekly free Tindle Newspapers
Crosby Herald closed 05 Feb 2015 weekly Paid Trinity Mirror
Formby Times closed 05 Feb 2015 weekly free Trinity Mirror
Manchester Weekly News launched 11 Feb 2015 weekly free Trinity Mirror
Oldham Advertiser closed 11 Feb 2015 weekly Free Trinity Mirror
Salford Advertiser closed 11 Feb 2015 Weekly free Trinity Mirror
Tameside Advertiser closed 11 Feb 2015 Weekly free Trinity Mirror
Trafford Advertiser closed 11 Feb 2015 weekly free Trinity Mirror
Wimslow Express closed 11 Feb 2015 Weekly free Trinity Mirror
Coventry Times closed 08 Apr 2015 Weekly free Trinity Mirror
Glossop Advertiser closed 08 Apr 2015 weekly free Trinity Mirror
Stockport Times East closed 08 Apr 2015 weekly free Trinity Mirror
Stockport Times West closed 08 Apr 2015 weekly free Trinity Mirror
Nuneaton Tribune closed 10 Sep 2015 Weekly free Trinity Mirror
Grantham Target launched and closed 01 Jun 2016 Weekly paid Trinity Mirror
Midweek Mercury (Stevenage) closed 02 Sep 2016 free Trinity Mirror
Luton on Sunday closed 19 Oct 2016 weekly free Trinity Mirror
OneMK closed 19 Oct 2016 weekly Free Trinity Mirror
Northampton Herald and Post closed 19 Oct 2016 weekly Free Trinity Mirror
Crawley News closed 20 Oct 2016 Weekly free Trinity Mirror
Wokingham Paper launched 16 Mar 2015 weekly paid Xn Media

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