National newspapers

There are 10 daily morning newspapers and nine Sunday newspapers in substantial circulation in most parts of the UK. They have an average total circulation of over 12 million copies on weekdays and over 13 million on Sundays, attracting an overall readership of 35-40 million people each day.

National newspapers cater for a wealth of tastes and interests They are often described as either 'qualities' or 'tabloids', depending on their format, style and content Quality newspapers - broadsheet in format - cater for readers who want detailed information on a wide range of news and current affairs Tabloid papers tend to appeal to those who want to read shorter, entertaining (and occasionally bizarre) stories with more human interest, and they generally contain a larger number of pictures. That said, the tabloids play an influential role in guiding public opinion.

All newspapers are now printed at least partly in colour At the weekend, most produce colour supplements and separate sections with features on anything and everything from leisure activities, travel, books, food and wine to in depth news analysis and financial matters This trend towards providing information on specific subjects has even led to the launch in 1998 of two new Sunday newspapers that deal exclusively with business (Sunday Business) and sport (Sport First) While newspapers are almost always financially independent of any political party, they often express pronounced views and show obvious political leanings in their editorial comments that may derive from proprietorial and other non party influences

In the June 2001 General Election, for example, most newspapers made it clear to their readerships who they thought they should vote for.

At one time, London's Fleet Street was the centre of the newspaper industry, but now all the national newspapers have moved their editorial offices and printing plants to other parts of the capital -many to Docklands, a regenerated area to the east of the city Some national newspapers, notably The Guardian (which has strong historical links with the city of Manchester), have begun to build up their regional presence.

Unlike most of the rest of Europe, the UK press receives no subsidies and relatively few tax and postal concessions. Newspaper profits are taxed at the standard corporation rate 10 percent for the first £10,000 then 20 per cent for small companies and 30 per cent for large (those with profits exceeding £1 5 million) The income of most newspapers and periodicals derives mainly from sales to readers and from advertising - indeed, the press is the largest advertising medium in the UK.

As the table shows, ownership of the national press lies in the hands of a number of large corporations, most of which are also involved in other parts of the publishing or communications sectors Some have stakes in independent television and radio companies, although legislation is in place to safeguard against the risks arising from an over-concentration of media cross-ownership. The most prominent company, News International, controls about 35 per cent of the national press (by copy sales), while Trinity Mirror owns about 19 per cent, Daily Mail & General Trust 19 per cent, Northern & Shell 11 per cent, Telegraph Croup 8 per cent, Guardian Media Group 3 per cent, Pearson 3 per cent and Independent News & Media about 1 per cent.

(For current circulaton figures click the following link: http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/facts-figures/circulation/circulation.html)

Of the individual newspaper titles, The Times is perhaps the best known It is the oldest surviving national daily paper, dating from 1785, and has enjoyed worldwide influence and authority throughout its history Like its competitors in the broadsheet market, it offers comprehensive coverage of important home, overseas and business news, the law, politics, sport, science and the arts The top-selling quality daily newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, has a broadly-based readership in terms of sex, age and geography and is rather conservative in political direction The Guardian, with a relatively small circulation, has traditionally been more liberal in outlook The Independent, the most recent surviving addition to the quality market, devotes more coverage to international news than its competitors. The Financial Times is the principal paper for business and financial coverage and has a considerable and expanding international readership. In 2000, it extended its influence by launching a dedicated local edition for the German market.

The mid-market tabloid press includes The Daily Mail and The Daily Express (and their Sunday equivalents) The Mail sells around 2.4 million copies a day. Its historic rival the Express has been declining, and now sells just 960,000 copies a day.

A third mid-market title, Today (established in 1986, and a pioneer of new production technology in the national press) was closed down by its owner, News International, in November 1995.

The popular tabloids include The Sun and The Daily Mirror, which have the highest circulations among the daily national newspapers as a whole, and The Daily Star, which is a smaller competitor

The Sunday Times enjoys the strongest circulation among the quality Sunday national press - although The Observer, established in 1791, has the oldest pedigree Both newspapers have extensive news, business, sport and review sections, together with colour magazine supplements The Sunday Telegraph is similar in appeal to The Daily Telegraph The Independent on Sunday has the lowest circulation of the quality Sunday press The News of the World, a popular Sunday tabloid, enjoys the distinction of selling more copies than any other newspaper in the UK - nearly 4 million each week. Its closest popular rivals are The Sunday Mirror and The People

Regional newspapers

Most towns and cities throughout the UK have their own regional or local newspaper These range from morning and evening dailies to Sunday papers and others that are published once or twice a week

Regional newspapers mainly include stories of regional or local attraction, but the dailies also cover national and international news, often looked at from a local viewpoint Some regional titles are paid for but many of the more successful newspapers are distributed free, generating their income solely from display and classified advertising More often than not, free newspapers are distributed weekly, though there are high profile exceptions such as The Metro (see below)

Following a period of rapid consolidation, most regional newspapers are controlled by large publishing concerns, such as Trinity Mirror (which is also owner of The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Mirror), Newsquest Media Croup, Northcliffe Newspapers, Johnston Press and Associated Newspapers (The Daily Mail's parent company) Examples of the top regional daily newspapers by circulation in England include the Express & Star (179,029) in the West Midlands, Manchester Evening News (170,346), Liverpool Echo (151,229), Birmingham's Evening Mail (130,405) and the Leeds based Yorkshire Post (71,632) Two regional Sunday papers - The Sunday Mercury in Birmingham and The Sunday Sun in Newcastle upon Tyne - sell 103,653 and 100,556 copies respectively

London has one paid-for evening paper, The Evening Standard, which has a circulation of about 434,000 By publishing a number of daily editions (from lunchtime until the end of the working day), the Standard provides Londoners with updated news and features covering events in the capital and of national and international interest The Standard is owned by Associated Newspapers, which strengthened its grip on London's newspaper market when it launched a free morning newspaper called The Metro in March 1999 The new title, which has a circulation of 360,000, is highly popular and complements the Standard's afternoon editions There are also local weekly newspapers for every district in Greater London, these are often different local editions of one centrally published paper

In Scotland, the publishing market has been dynamic since the UK Government began transferring key political powers to the new Scottish Parliament - a process known as devolution The main regional dailies include The Daily Record (the sister paper of The Daily Mirror, with a circulation of 599,574), Glasgow's Evening Times (104,060), Aberdeen's Press and Journal (97,146), The Herald (published in Glasgow, 93,522), The Dundee Courier and Advertiser (90,431) and The Scotsman (90,730) The top Scottish Sunday regional papers are the Sunday Herald (60,357), Sunday Ma/I (Glasgow), Sunday Post (Dundee) and a quality broadsheet paper, Scotland on Sunday The Observer and The Sunday Times both carry Scottish supplements while The Sun runs a regional edition reflecting local concerns

The daily morning paper, The Western Mail, is published in Cardiff and circulates throughout Wales (53,474), as do The Daily Post (66,049) and Wales on Sunday (60,564) Many others give more local coverage of Welsh events and the weekly press includes Welsh-language and bilingual papers. Welsh community newspapers receive an annual grant as part of the Government's wider financial support for the Welsh language.

Northern Ireland has two morning newspapers, one evening and two Sunday papers. They are all published in Belfast, with circulations ranging from 32,000 to 111,100. They are the News Letter, Irish News, the evening Belfast Telegraph, Sunday Life and Sunday World (Northern Ireland edition). There are just over 50 weeklies. Newspapers from the Irish Republic, as well as the UK national press, are widely read in Northern Ireland.

New technology

The regional press has always been at the forefront of technological innovation. The move from hot metal typesetting to highly-sophisticated computerised systems and the increasing use of quality colour are two examples of the pioneering nature of the industry. Following the exodus of the national newspapers from Fleet Street, most national newspapers are now printed under contract on regional newspaper presses, which receive high levels of investment. In 1998, regional publishers invested £300 million in new presses and production technology. The UK has advanced printing operations and colour reproduction facilities. At its London Docklands headquarters, for example, News International - publisher of two national daily and two Sunday papers - has one of the largest computer terminal systems installed at one time anywhere in the world. Computer-based technology has had a profound impact on the way newspapers are produced and printed. Presses produce newspapers at ever-increasing speeds (70,000 copies per hour for the largest machines). The introduction of new technology into the production process has streamlined and speeded the operation and opened doors to a vast increase in publishing activity through greater frequency of editions, special targeted supplements and new titles.

New technology has also led to major changes in working practices throughout the industry. Previously, large-volume production needed a high labour input for typesetting, and printing was done in huge capital-intensive works. Publishers have been able to reduce these production costs in recent years by using advanced computer systems for editing and production processes. The 'single keying' system allows journalists and advertising staff to input copy directly into a computer terminal, and then transfer it electronically into columns of type.

Many newspapers arrange page layouts on screen and output full pages to photographic paper bromides or film that are then used to make plates for the printing press. Some newspapers still output columns in bromide format from the computerised typesetting operation; these are then pasted up into pages before being sent to the camera room for negatives to be produced from which the plates are made. Increasingly, computer-to-plate systems that are now being introduced dispense with the intermediate stage of paper or film altogether. Most newspapers are printed by offset lithography, a method in which the printed image is transferred, or offset, from the printing plate to a rubber blanket (cylinder) and then on to the paper.

The advent of the internet is having a profound impact. In May 2000, the regional press launched AdFast, an internet delivery system that allows advertisers and their agencies to provide copy quickly and efficiently to publishers. Publishers are also investing in electronic ventures, including internet sites, audiotex, teletext and other electronic services. There has been a growth in strategic alliances such as classified advertising website Fish4 and a rapid rise in the number of national and regional newspaper websites. Popular national newspaper sites include the Financial Times site, the Electronic Telegraph and Guardian Unlimited.

Magazines and periodicals

A glance around any newsagent's shop will give an idea of the huge range of magazines and periodicals available in the UK. Sport, cookery, fashion, gardening, music, religion, computers, cinema, pets - whatever your interest, there is usually a magazine that covers it. Many appear weekly, others monthly or bi-monthly.

There are about 3,174 consumer magazines that carry advertising as 'consumer' magazines provide readers with leisure-time information and entertainment. These contrast with 'business and professional' titles, which provide material relevant to work.

In addition, the UK has seen rapid growth in customer magazines. Often produced by specialists known as publishing agencies, these titles are produced on behalf of retailers,

car manufacturers, airlines, the public sector or utilities, which want to talk directly to customers, business contacts and staff. The best titles in this sector often have huge circulations. They share the same editorial and production standards as traditional consumer magazines and are just as well read. In 2000, this industry was worth around £360 million a year.

Within the consumer category, there are general titles that have a wide appeal, and specialist titles, aimed at groups of people with particular interests, such as motoring or classical music. A range of literary and political journals, appearing monthly or quarterly, caters for a more academic readership.

As a general rule, consumer titles have a cover price of £1 to £3 as well as raising revenue from advertising. The weekly magazines with the highest sales are those which carry details of the forthcoming week'; television and radio programmes, including cable and satellite schedules. What's on TV, TV Times, Radio Times, TV Choice and TV Quick sell between 550,000 and 1.7 million copies. Reader's Digest, which covers just about any subject, has the highest circulation (1 million) among monthly consumer magazines.

Women's magazines still enjoy large readerships but have been slipping for much of the last decade. The exception is top-selling title Take a Break with a weekly circulation of over 1.1 million. Old favourites like Woman's Weekly, Woman's Own, Woman, Weekly News (which sells mainly in Scotland), Woman's Realm and My Weekly have circulations ranging ;   from 250,000 to over 600,000. Several women's magazines owned by overseas publishing houses have attracted large followings; Prima and Best, launched by Germany's Cruner & Jahr before being sold to a UK subsidiary of the US Hearst Corporation, each sell around 400,000 copies. Bella and Hello! are also widely read, though the latter has been overtaken by Northern & Shell's OK! magazine (586,000).

Something of a recent phenomenon has been the upsurge in the market for men's general interest magazines - for example, Loaded, CO, FHM, Men's Health, Maxim, and Esquire. Emap's FHM now leads the pack by a wide margin with a monthly circulation of about 720,000.

Another sector that has seen a resurgence of activity is children's and teenage publishing. Younger children are well served with an array of comics while magazines like Smash Hits, TV Hits, CD:UK, Top of the Pops, Sugar, It's Bliss and Just Seventeen, with their coverage of the pop music scene, fashion and features of interest to young people, are popular with teenagers Also popular with teenage boys are the dozen or so magazines linked to the Sony Playstation games platform.

Leading journals of opinion include The Economist, an authoritative, independent commentator on national and international affairs, finance and business, science and technology; the New Statesman, which reviews social issues, politics, literature and the arts from a socialist point of view; and The Spectator, which covers similar subjects from a conservative standpoint.

An irreverent approach to public affairs is taken by satirical fortnightly title Private Eye. Details of forthcoming events in London and other large cities are available in weekly listings magazines. London-based Time Outsells 86,600 and also publishes guide books.

Although the number of business and professional titles can be seriously affected by macro-economic conditions, there are currently around 5,713, with the highest concentrations in medicine, business management, sciences, architecture and building, social sciences and computers. Controlled (free to certain designated professionals) circulation titles represent two-thirds of the market Around 95 per cent of business and professional people regularly read the publications relevant to their sector.

Minority ethnic publications

There are around 4 million people of black, Asian and Chinese descent living in the UK and spending an estimated £12 billion a year on consumer goods. As a result, there is a diverse and dynamic minority ethnic publishing sector that produces newspapers and magazines for most sub-groups. Most titles are published weekly, fortnightly or monthly. A Chinese newspaper, Sing Tao, the Urdu Daily Jang and the Arabic AI-Arab, however, are dailies. So is the English language Asian Age.

Afro-Caribbean newspapers include the Cleaner and West Indian Digest. The Voice (which sells around 35,000 a week) and Caribbean Times, both weeklies, are aimed at the black population in general.

The Asian Times and Eastern Eye are English language weeklies for people of Asian descent; the Sikh Courier is produced quarterly. Minority ethnic language newspapers include the weeklies Garavi Gujarat and Gujarat Samachar. Publications also appear in Bengali, Hindi and Punjabi. The fortnightly Asian Trader is a highly successful minority ethnic business publication while Cineblitz is a monthly title that targets those interested in the Asian film industry. Many provincial papers print special editions for their local minority ethnic populations.

News agencies

The top international news agencies operating in the UK are Reuters, Associated Press and United Press International. The main agency that gathers news inside the UK is the Press Association (PA), which is predominantly owned by UK newspaper publishers. A number of other UK and foreign agencies and news services have offices in London (for example, UK News and Agence France Presse), and there are smaller agencies based in other UK cities.

The Press Association employs 400 journalists to provide a comprehensive UK news service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. PA delivers a continuous stream of news, pictures, alerts and data into the newsrooms of all national and regional newspapers, most UK broadcasters and digital publishers. Breaking news and in-depth specialist reports on a range of topics such as politics, showbiz, science, TV listings, share prices and sport can be delivered either by PA news wires, or through the searchable, web-delivered database, NewsFile. All told, around 1,500 stories and 100 pictures and graphics are transmitted each day by satellite and telecommunications links.

PA also supplies up-to-the-minute news, including live coverage of Parliament, the courts and major international events with a UK or Irish interest, to Teletext, online information providers and internet sites. There is a design department that tailors news, sport and listings information for delivery to internet publishers. PA has a range of joint ventures that complement the agency's core work. These include PAWeatherCentre, a joint venture between PA and MeteoConsult, Europe's leading independent weather company, and PA Sporting Life, a joint venture between PA and Trinity Mirror, which operates an online sports news and betting service.

Press institutions

A number of organisations represent the interests of newspaper owners and editors, journalists and print workers. These include the Newspaper Publishers Association, whose members publish the national newspapers, and the Newspaper Society, which represents UK regional and local newspapers. The Scottish Daily Newspaper Society looks after the interests of daily and Sunday newspapers in Scotland; the Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association acts on behalf of the owners of weekly and bi-weekly newspapers; and Associated Northern Ireland Newspapers is made up of proprietors of weekly newspapers in Northern Ireland. The Periodical Publishers Association includes most independent publishers of business, professional and consumer journals.

The National Union of Journalists, with about 30,000 members, and the Chartered Institute of Journalists, with around 1,500, are the main bodies in the UK representing the interests of journalists. The main printing trades union is the 200,000-strong Graphical, Paper and Media Union (CPMU)

The Guild of Editors is the recognised professional body for newspaper editors and their equivalents in radio and television. With a membership of 500, it exists to defend press freedom and to promote high editorial standards. The British Association of Communicators in Business (formerly the British Association of Industrial Editors) is the professional organisation for editors of house journals, while the Association of British Editors represents the whole range of media.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) helps the correspondents of overseas newspapers based in the UK. It arranges press conferences, briefings and many other services and facilities. The FPA has 700 members representing over 1,000 newspapers, TV and radio stations, news agencies and media organisations from 70 countries. It is politically independent, run by foreign journalists. It aims to support the work of the international media and facilitate contacts with the British media, politics, business and culture. Any correspondent who is fully accredited to a foreign newspaper, periodical, news agency, radio or television organisation can become a full member of the FPA. Any one who works for the UK press, as an embassy attaché, as a freelance journalist or public relations/press officer, can become an associate member.

Training and education

A range of training courses are accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). Magazine courses are accredited by the Periodical Training Council (the training arm of the Periodical Publishers Association). Courses for regional newspapers in such subjects as newspaper sales, advertising and management are provided by the Newspaper Society's training service. Some newspaper publishers like Johnston Press and Trinity Mirror carry out journalist training independently of the NCTJ. The Newspaper Society is the lead body for the development of National Vocational Qualifications in the newspaper industry.

The press and the law

There are no specific press laws in the UK. Certain statutes, however, include sections that apply to the press. There are laws governing the extent of newspaper ownership in television and radio companies (see page 18), the transfer of newspaper assets, and the right of press representatives to be admitted to meetings of local government authorities.

There are no specific laws governing the behaviour of the press. Instead it is monitored by an industry body called the Press Complaints Commission.

There are also restrictions on reporting certain court proceedings and on publishing material that could incite racial hatred.

It is illegal to transfer a newspaper or newspaper assets to a proprietor whose newspapers have a total paid for daily circulation of 500,000 or more, including that of the newspaper to be taken over, without the consent of the Government.

There is a legal requirement to reproduce the printer's name and place of publication on all publications Copies of all publications must also be deposited in the British Library.

Laws covering contempt of court, official secrets and defamation are relevant to the press. A newspaper cannot publish comments on the conduct of judicial proceedings that might prejudice the court's reputation for fairness before or during the proceedings, nor can it publish anything that might influence the result of a trial The unauthorised acquisition and publication of official information in areas like defence and international relations, where such disclosure would be harmful, are offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989 Most legal proceedings against the press are libel actions brought by private individuals.

Publications of advertisements is governed by wide ranging legislation, including public health, copyright, financial services and fraud legislation Legal restrictions are imposed on certain types of prize competition

Copyright

Original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works (including photographs), published editions of works, computer programmes, films, sound recordings, broadcasts and cable programmes (including online information services) are automatically protected by copyright in the UK, there is no registration system This protection is also given to works from countries party to international copyright conventions.

Copyright owners have rights against unauthorised reproduction, public performance, broadcasting and issue to the public of their work, and against people dealing in unauthorised copies of their work In most cases the author is the first owner of the copyright, and the term of copyright is the life of the author plus 70 years For films, the term of copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the death of the last surviving author involved (that is the director, scriptwriter, screenplay author or composer of the music) Sound recordings are protected for 50 years after their publication, and broadcasts and cable programmes for 50 years from the end of the year in which the first broadcast or transmission is made.

The Press Complaints Commission

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was set up in 1991 to deal with complaint from members of the public about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines The Commission's formation followed an independent report on privacy and the press that had been commissioned in response to growing public criticism of press standards Allegations of unjustified invasion of privacy and inaccurate and biased reporting resulted in calls for government regulation of the press.

In 1995 the Government rejected proposals for statutory regulation, and for legislation to give protection to privacy Instead, it endorsed self regulation under the Commission, and recommended tough new measures to make self regulation more effective At the root of this decision was a belief that legal controls would be useless to those members of the public who could not afford legal action - and would mean delays before complainants received redress By contrast, self-regulation provides a quick and effective remedy The Commission's membership is drawn from both the public and the press It operates a code of practice agreed by editors covering such failings as inaccuracy, invasion of privacy, harassment and discrimination by the press. In 1999, the PCC completed the investigation of 2,445 complaints - of which six out of ten were about accuracy in reporting. About one in eight related to intrusion into privacy.

The industry and the Commission have introduced measures to reinforce voluntary regulation These include an increase in the number of independent members of the Commission to ensure a lay majority, the incorporation of the code of practice into the contracts of employment of most editors and journalists, and the appointment of a Privacy Commissioner with special powers to investigate complaints about invasion of privacy

On the Commission's 10th anniversary, its chairman claimed that the system had the support of the main political parties There are no serious commentators now who believe statutory controls are desirable or practical - and the Human Rights Act 1998, with its emphasis on freedom of expression, means that it would be almost impossible to introduce such a system'.

Advertisements in newspapers are regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority, which ensures that adverts are legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Advertising Standards Authority

Advertising in all non-broadcast media, such as newspapers, magazines, posters, sales promotions, cinema and direct mail, is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that was formed in 1962. Television advertisements are regulated by the Independent Television Commission and radio advertisements by the Radio Authority.

The ASA is an independent body that sees that everyone who prepares and publishes advertisements conforms to the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion. The Codes are written and enforced by the advertising industry through the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). They require that advertisements and promotions:

• are legal, decent, honest and truthful;
• are prepared with a sense of responsibility to the consumer and society; and
• respect the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business.

The Authority monitors advertisements to ensure their compliance with the Codes and investigates any complaints received. CAP'S copy advice team provides pre-publication advice to assist publishers, agencies and advertisers. If an advertisement is found to be unacceptable because it is misleading or offensive, the ASA Council can ask the advertiser to change or remove it. Failure to do so can result in damaging adverse publicity on the ASA's website, in its regular printed reports and in the media, as well as the refusal of advertising space by publishers. The ASA can also refer misleading advertisements to the Director General of Fair Trading, who has the power to seek an injunction to prevent publication.

The ASA's self-regulation complements the UK's tough consumer protection laws. The system's strength is that it is more flexible than legislation and can adapt quickly to new forms of advertising and changes in public attitudes.

The ASA's work is funded by a small levy on display advertising and direct mail expenditure. Its budget for the year 2001 is just over £4 million.

The ASA has a Council of 12 people who decide whether or not an advertisement breaks the Codes. The Chairman is appointed by the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (ASBOF). The Chairman and most of the Council members are drawn from outside the advertising world and the ASA's Chairman advertises for new lay members from a wide diversity of backgrounds. A minority of the members work in advertising and can offer practical guidance on how the industry conducts itself. All members serve as individuals and do not represent any interest group or sector.

Most national newspapers have moved out their traditional home in Fleet Street. Some are now based at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, at 244 metres the tallest office building in London.