Irish News is the only regional newspaper in the UK to have added readers in the last twelve months. The paper’s stable ownership and investment in quality content is possibly one reason for its bouyancy is what is otherwise a highly competitive market. In the Republic the biggest winner was the Sunday Business Post with a massive 7.8% rise in circulation.One interesting sub-story to the ABC figures is the performance of Daily Ireland viz a viz its rivalry with the Irish News. This time last year their figure sat at 10,467, this year it is 10,080. Belfast’s ‘newspaper war’ would seem to be over, all bar the shouting.
Finfacts has news that the Newspaper Society has plans “to develop a “multimedia portfolio audience currency” and is working alongside JICREG and ABC Electronic to build an expanded database of regional press print and online platforms”. Convergence not too far ahead then?
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty