Thelondonpaper
Encyclopedia
The London Paper was a free daily newspaper
, published by NI Free Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International
(who also own the companies that publish The Sun and The Times
). It was available from Monday to Friday each week in Central London
from 4 September 2006 until 18 September 2009 (its final print-run before closure).
newspaper
to be published in direct competition with the Evening Standard
since 1987 and Robert Maxwell
's short-lived London Daily News
. It was also the first newspaper to be launched by News International (the publisher's other titles were bought many years after initial publication).
The week before The London Paper was first published, Associated Newspapers
, the publisher of the Evening Standard, re-branded their existing free lunchtime newspaper Standard Lite to London Lite
and changed the publishing time to include the evening rush-hour, a move that was widely seen as a 'spoiler' to protect against the launch of thelondonpaper.
It held the contract for evening free distribution in London National Rail
stations, meaning it could be picked up at the same locations as Metro
in the mornings. It was also believed to be bidding for the larger contract to distribute free newspapers at London Underground
stations on weekday afternoons. However Transport for London
later announced that the contract had been withdrawn after no acceptable bids were received.
. Its television listings also included Sky One
alongside the five terrestrial channels.
Like the other free London
dailies, The London Paper was generally discarded by its readers as soon as they have finished. The use of resources to print something with such a short lifespan was criticised on environmental grounds. Westminster City Council
estimated that free newspapers made up a quarter of all rubbish in the West End
, much of which went un-recycled, although some stations have positioned recycling bins at entrances and exits specifically for the purpose of recycling free papers.
On 18 September 2009, News International took the decision to cease publication of the newspaper, having its final print-run after it recorded pre-tax losses of £12.9m in its second year.
On 13 August 2010, Rupert Murdoch announced that News Corp would distribute a similar digital newspaper as paid content for the iPad
, mobile phones, and other digital devices.
Free daily newspaper
Free daily newspapers are distributed free of charge, either in central places in cities and towns, or with other newspapers. The revenues of such newspapers are based on advertising.-In the U.S.:...
, published by NI Free Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
(who also own the companies that publish The Sun and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
). It was available from Monday to Friday each week in Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
from 4 September 2006 until 18 September 2009 (its final print-run before closure).
Background
The paper was the first LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
to be published in direct competition with the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
since 1987 and Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
's short-lived London Daily News
London Daily News
The London Daily News was a short-lived London newspaper owned by Robert Maxwell.-1987:The London Daily News was published from 24 February to 24 July 1987. It was intended to be a "24-hour" paper challenging the local dominance of the Evening Standard."For the city that never sleeps, the paper...
. It was also the first newspaper to be launched by News International (the publisher's other titles were bought many years after initial publication).
The week before The London Paper was first published, Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers is a large national newspaper publisher in the UK, which is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The group was established in 1905 and is currently based at Northcliffe House in Kensington...
, the publisher of the Evening Standard, re-branded their existing free lunchtime newspaper Standard Lite to London Lite
London Lite
London Lite was the trading name of a British free daily newspaper, published by Associated Newspapers , and now defunct. It was available Monday to Friday afternoons and evenings from street distributors in Central London only...
and changed the publishing time to include the evening rush-hour, a move that was widely seen as a 'spoiler' to protect against the launch of thelondonpaper.
Format
The paper, edited by Stefano Hatfield, was targeted towards young readers, with emphasis on celebrity and more light hearted news, there was little analysis of news stories and the paper used lots of images and colour. As a consequence of the launch of The London Paper as well as Associated Newspaper's own London Lite, the Evening Standard attempted to go more upmarket, emphasising the difference between the free newspapers and itself by adding the tagline "The Quality Newspaper" across the top of the front page, this changed on 12 October 2009 when, after a long history of paid circulation, the Evening Standard became a free sheet, replacing the London Lite.Distribution
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
stations, meaning it could be picked up at the same locations as Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
in the mornings. It was also believed to be bidding for the larger contract to distribute free newspapers at London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
stations on weekday afternoons. However Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
later announced that the contract had been withdrawn after no acceptable bids were received.
Criticism
The paper was criticised for advertising other News Corp products, and for containing too much pointless celebrity news in the guise of serious news articles, such as a new Murdoch-backed music website and The Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
. Its television listings also included Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
alongside the five terrestrial channels.
Like the other free London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
dailies, The London Paper was generally discarded by its readers as soon as they have finished. The use of resources to print something with such a short lifespan was criticised on environmental grounds. Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
estimated that free newspapers made up a quarter of all rubbish in the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, much of which went un-recycled, although some stations have positioned recycling bins at entrances and exits specifically for the purpose of recycling free papers.
Closure
On 20 August 2009, it was announced that The London Paper would cease publication due to consistent losses.On 18 September 2009, News International took the decision to cease publication of the newspaper, having its final print-run after it recorded pre-tax losses of £12.9m in its second year.
On 13 August 2010, Rupert Murdoch announced that News Corp would distribute a similar digital newspaper as paid content for the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, mobile phones, and other digital devices.
External links
- thelondonpaper.com Official website for The London Paper (now redirects to The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
website). - London's free newspapers revealed This Is Local London
- The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 21 August 2009, The legacy of the London Paper