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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Trinity Mirror's New Day newspaper to close 'after poor sales' | Trinity Mirror's New Day newspaper to close 'after poor sales' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Daily newspaper the New Day is set to close on Friday, just nine weeks after it was launched. | Daily newspaper the New Day is set to close on Friday, just nine weeks after it was launched. |
| Publisher Trinity Mirror said it was "disappointing" but circulation for the title was "below our expectations". | Publisher Trinity Mirror said it was "disappointing" but circulation for the title was "below our expectations". |
| Editor Alison Phillips said "we tried everything we could", getting a great reaction from readers, "but the reality was we didn't have enough of them". | |
| It had hoped to sell about 200,000 copies a day, but sales are reported to have fallen to about 40,000. | It had hoped to sell about 200,000 copies a day, but sales are reported to have fallen to about 40,000. |
| The paper was launched in February and was said to be politically neutral and aimed at "time-poor" readers. Although the title had a social media presence, it did not have a website. | |
| 'Took a chance' | |
| Editor Ms Phillips wrote on Facebook: "The response over the 50 issues we have published has been extraordinary. | |
| "I have never worked on a title with such engagement from readers. There clearly were many people who truly loved the idea of a different kind of newspaper which spoke to them. But the reality was we didn't have enough of them on a daily basis." | |
| She also praised the team for "their hard work and commitment but also for having the guts to take a chance and to try something new when they knew there were few guarantees of success". | |
| She added: "To have not given this a go was to mean we were content to stand on the pavement and watch the decline of British national newspapers hurtle past us. But we weren't. And we still aren't." | |
| Two million copies were distributed free on launch day. It then cost 25p for the first two weeks, before rising to 50p. | |
| In its trading update Trinity said: "Although the New Day has received many supportive reviews and built a strong following on Facebook, the circulation for the title is below our expectations. | In its trading update Trinity said: "Although the New Day has received many supportive reviews and built a strong following on Facebook, the circulation for the title is below our expectations. |
| "Whilst disappointing, the launch and subsequent closure have provided new insights into enhancing our newspapers and a number of these opportunities will be considered over time." | "Whilst disappointing, the launch and subsequent closure have provided new insights into enhancing our newspapers and a number of these opportunities will be considered over time." |
| At launch the company reported a £14.4m fall in annual pre-tax profit to £67.2m. | |
| 'Ill-conceived idea' | |
| Jane Martinson, head of media at the Guardian said it showed that "this is a terrible time to launch a newspaper". | Jane Martinson, head of media at the Guardian said it showed that "this is a terrible time to launch a newspaper". |
| "We have to welcome a brave and optimistic attempt to do something in this market. Was it ill-conceived though? I would say yes." | "We have to welcome a brave and optimistic attempt to do something in this market. Was it ill-conceived though? I would say yes." |
| She said she believed the pricing was wrong and it did not give readers enough news. | She said she believed the pricing was wrong and it did not give readers enough news. |
| The New Day was the first new national paper since the launch of i, a slimmed-down version of the Independent, which went on sale in October 2010. | The New Day was the first new national paper since the launch of i, a slimmed-down version of the Independent, which went on sale in October 2010. |
| However, its impending closure comes just over a month after the Independent and Independent on Sunday ceased as print editions to concentrate on online publishing. | However, its impending closure comes just over a month after the Independent and Independent on Sunday ceased as print editions to concentrate on online publishing. |
| Amol Rajan, editor-at-large at the Independent, said he felt sympathetic for the people who worked at the paper but it was the right decision to close. | Amol Rajan, editor-at-large at the Independent, said he felt sympathetic for the people who worked at the paper but it was the right decision to close. |
| "If it's not working, it's better to pull out quickly rather than lingering on," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "If it's not working, it's better to pull out quickly rather than lingering on," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| "The New Day was not a news-led product - it was a features-led product. In that way it was unique but it was not a compelling proposition." | "The New Day was not a news-led product - it was a features-led product. In that way it was unique but it was not a compelling proposition." |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By BBC media correspondent David Sillito | By BBC media correspondent David Sillito |
| A new type of newspaper to reach the sort of people who had given up on print - New Day was launched in February at a time when the rest of the industry is struggling with falling sales and advertising revenues. | A new type of newspaper to reach the sort of people who had given up on print - New Day was launched in February at a time when the rest of the industry is struggling with falling sales and advertising revenues. |
| Trinity Mirror's share price has been dipping and it's also having to make large payouts to the victims of phone hacking. | Trinity Mirror's share price has been dipping and it's also having to make large payouts to the victims of phone hacking. |
| The New Day was always going to be a gamble - more than a million people have stopped buying a paper over the last three years. This was an attempt to coax those readers back - especially women. | The New Day was always going to be a gamble - more than a million people have stopped buying a paper over the last three years. This was an attempt to coax those readers back - especially women. |
| Its slogan was "Life is short, let's live it well". Few expected it to end quite so quickly. | Its slogan was "Life is short, let's live it well". Few expected it to end quite so quickly. |