The News Letter
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| '''The Belfast Newsletter''' | |
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| Type | Daily newspaper |
| Format | Tabloid |
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| Owner | Johnston Press |
| Editor | Darwin Templeton |
| Founded | 1737 |
| Political allegiance | unionist, Conservatism Pro-DUP Unionism |
| Headquarters | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
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| Website: www.newsletter.co.uk | |
The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland's main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday. It is the oldest English language newspaper still in publication in the world, having first been printed in 1737.[1][2]
The newspaper's editorial stance and readership is strongly unionist. Its primary competitors are the Belfast Telegraph (which is moderately unionist in outlook) and the Irish News which adopts a largely Irish nationalist perspective.
The News Letter was part of the Trinity Mirror newspaper group until late-2003 when it was acquired by the 3i group advised by former Mirror Group Newspapers chairman, David Montgomery. It is now operated by a holding company entitled Local Press Ltd, part of Johnston Press.
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[edit] Title
The full legal title of the newspaper is the "Belfast News Letter" though the word Belfast does not appear on the masthead any more.
[edit] History
Founded in 1737, the News Letter was printed in Joy's Entry in Belfast, and was published by the original owner under the "sign of the Peacock" in Bridge Street. Originally published three times weekly, it became daily in 1855. The title is now located in the utilitarian Boucher Road industrial estate.
According to the newspaper's owners:
| The News Letter [can claim] the first genuine "world exclusive". The boat carrying the first copy to leave America of the Declaration of Independence, and bound for London, hit stormy waters off the north coast of Ireland. The boat sought refuge in Londonderry port and arrangements were made for the declaration to be sent on horseback to Belfast, where it would be met by another ship for delivery to King George III.
Somehow, and in the best traditions of revelatory journalism, the News Letter editor of the day gained access to the priceless document and duly published it on the front page of the August 23, 1776 edition. Today there is a constant demand for copies of that famous and historical front page.[3] |
Before the partition of Ireland in 1922, the Newsletter was an all-Ireland newspaper distributed all over the island. Since then it has become a northern newspaper specifically with a predominantly unionist polical outlook.
[edit] Politics
The News Letter has historically been a hardline Unionist title. However when it was purchased by the Mirror Group in the 1990s Montgomery moved it to a more pro-peace process position. This was continued under the stewardship of the then editor, Geoff Martin. Martin was succeeded in 2003 by Nigel Wareing, formerly of the Guardian Media Group.
The paper publishes several weekly and infrequent supplements, such as Farming Life and Catwalk. It also prints many titles for other publishers including Trinity Mirror and Guardian Media Group. It also prints the Ulster-Scots Agency publication, The Ulster-Scot.
The News Letter was sold by Trinity Mirror to venture capital firm 3i in late 2003. In 2004 3i formed a new company, Local Press Ltd, to publish the News Letter and its stablemates, the Derry Journal and the Donegal Democrat.
[edit] Circulation
Circulation currently stands at approximately 29,000, but this does not include the Farming Life supplement. When Farming Life is sold with the News Letter on Wednesdays and Saturdays circulation peaks at around 40,000 and is read across the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland.
[edit] References
- ^ Research guide: Irish news & newspapers, Boston College, 13 December 2004, accessed 25 September 2006
- ^ Ruth Johnston, Your place and mine: Belfast News Letter, BBC, accessed 25 September 2006
- ^ The history of the News Letter, Belfast Today, accessed 25 September 2006
[edit] External link
| National & regional newspapers in Ireland |  |
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Defunct |
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See also: List of newspapers in Ireland |
