U.S. newspapers aren’t the only ones suffering from the ad downturn and readers flocking to the internet.

From the Guardian

UPDATED, 10pm: This is an attempt to compile a list of Britain’s vanishing newspaper titles over the past year (since January 2008, in fact). It is probably not definitive, since there is no central register.

The Newspaper Society (NS), the regional publishers’ trade body, does its best to maintain a comprehensive list, and has been very helpful to me. But there are some local titles that do not appear on its radar.

Surprisingly, the National Union of Journalists has no record of closures, though one of its officials thought it a good idea. The British Library’s Colindale newspaper reading room knows only that a paper has ceased publication, but does not keep a specific list of defunct titles.

Some closures are not straightforward because several titles may be merged or folded into a single title, as I will try to clarify. With two exceptions, all the closures involve freesheets.

I have not included advertising-only titles, such as Flintshire BuySell, because – quite rightly – these are not recognised as newspapers by the NS.

If anyone has titles to add, please let me know. And many thanks to those commenters who responded to my plea for help. Several people emailed me with crucial information.

Despite the downturn, there have been launches too, which I’ve listed separately. To put this list in perspective, it is also important to note that there are still, according to NS estimates, some 1,300 core regional and local newspaper titles plus 450 niche publications or magazines, and 250 ultra-local titles. Added to that are 1,200 websites and nearly 50 broadcast channels.

So, taking account of closures and launches, the 13-month decline in the number of newsprint titles – a net loss of 42 titles – amounts to less than 4% of the total.

The papers on this list are small based on their circulation but it does show that there is erosion taking place and if the global recesssion continues beyond this year, it is likley the pace of closures will increase rapidly.

 

 

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