UK local newspaper closures: At least 265 titles gone since 2005, but pace of decline has slowed

Thirty-three local newspapers have closed in the UK since the start of 2019, according to new Press Gazette analysis.

A further 13 print titles were launched, making a net loss of 20 between 1 January 2019 and 19 August 2020.

The latest figure takes the total net loss of local newspapers since 2005 to 265. That year was considered by many to be the high-water mark of print newspaper profitability in the UK; the economy was riding high, automation had made printing cheaper and broadband internet had yet to cause severe disruption.

This analysis is based on reports of closures and launches across Press Gazette and Hold The Front Page, treating editions of newspapers as separate titles.

Despite covering a period of more than a year, this figure is lower than the net loss of 43 local news titles in 2018 and 30 in 2017.

JPI Media closed the greatest number – 13 – with ten of those closedd at once in June last year. The publisher said no jobs would be lost in relation to the closures, with staff moving to other titles.

This was followed by Reach and Tindle on seven closures each, although six of those at Tindle were from the same Welsh series.

Most of the reports on the title closures did not specify job loss numbers, but from the known figures we estimate a minimum net loss of 27 roles.

Newsquest launched the most titles, with a strategy to open new titles or editions after another publisher has pulled out of a patch.

It created the Vale Journal as a new edition of the Salisbury Journal in May after the closure of Reach’s Blackmore Vale Magazine and launched a new edition of the Bucks Free Press to cover Amersham, Chesham and Little Chalfont after Reach closed its titles in the area early last year.

While our tally concentrates on print titles only, Reach has launched at least 15 regional news websites in expanding its Live network since the start of 2019.

Other notable online-only launches include Archant’s Peterborough Matters in partnership with Google, Iliffe Media’s Suffolk News, and Nub News’ network of 44 hyperlocal news websites with 30 journalist hires.

There was a net loss of 17 local news titles in 2015 to 2016, according to earlier analysis.

Local newspaper CLOSURES in the UK from 1 January 2019 to 19 August 2020

*signifies closure happened since Covid-19 hit the UK

Local newspaper LAUNCHES in the UK from 1 January 2019 to 19 August 2020

*signifies launch happened since Covid-19 hit the UK

Picture: Pixabay