Just nine weeks after the New Day’s launch, the “newspaper for people that don’t like newspapers” has closed, after it failed to get the people that don’t like newspapers to buy a newspaper. Louise Fernley looks at what went wrong.
What happened?
It seems like mere weeks ago that I wrote about the launch of the New Day, the ‘new type of newspaper’, focused on positive news, debate and discourse in a slim, plain-speaking format. In fact, it was. The 29th of February. However, Publisher Trinity Mirror announced yesterday that this Friday will mark the final issue of the New Day, citing below-expectation circulation figures.
The group had hoped to attract 200,000 readers and its actual circulation was thought to be more around the 40,000 mark.
Why’s it important?
Some commentators may remark that this closure is a death knell for the newspaper industry. This, however, would be to go too far. The New Day was an experiment, rather than a disruptive new force. Senior figures in UK newspapers did not need the arrival, or the exit, of the New Day to know that this is a difficult time for the sector.
What’s the reaction been?
The only surprise in the New Day’s exit is in how swiftly Trinity Mirror has ushered it out and slammed the door behind it.
Speaking to the Today programme on a subject very close to home, Amol Rajan, editor-at-large at the Independent, opined: “If it’s not working, it’s better to pull out quickly rather than lingering on.”
Roy Greenslade, writing in his column in The Guardian, reminded us that he had predicted the paper’s demise long (well, weeks) ago and said its launch-on-a-shoestring approach was partly to blame for its failure. “It was a toe-in-the-water, rather than a full-hearted, experiment. It was bold in its concept and timid in its execution,” he concluded.
Best headline?
While most UK media outlets have focused on The New Day’s short life, rather than its tragic end, the Wall Street Journal has reminded us of the wider issues in the sector with its article: Closure of New Day Deals Another Blow to U.K. Newspaper Industry.
What’s next?
The New Day was rushed in its launch and rushed out of its existence even faster. Trinity Mirror will undoubtedly chalk this up as a brave experiment that simply didn’t work, but has – as remarked in yesterday’s statement – “provided new insights into enhancing our newspapers and a number of these opportunities will be considered over time”.
While we must commend the group for its positive slant on the news and ‘embrace failure’ attitude, we hope that the media industry’s next disruptive new idea is better thought out and properly invested in.
