Brand New Day in British newspaper publishing

A customer holds a copy of the New Day in central London, on Feb 29, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON • British Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday helped launch the country's first new national daily in 30 years, which vows to show that print news can prosper in the Internet age.

The New Day, created by publishing giant Trinity Mirror, hit the newsstands with a front-page story on a report into children who care for their parents and a column by Mr Cameron calling on Britain to remain in the European Union.

Despite plummeting sales of print papers, which led The Independent to announce last month that it was moving online, the new newspaper insists that its distinctive format would help it survive.

"We would, of course, be completely daft if what we were launching was just another newspaper. But it's not," said a message from its editorial team. "Yes, we have news and we are made of paper. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. We know this can't just be another newspaper."

Mr Barry Rabbetts, the paper's executive editor, tweeted an image of the front page, adding: "When you pick up @thenewdayuk...you'll see it's very different."

Two million copies of the 40-page paper were given away free yesterday. It will be sold at 25 pence (50 Singapore cents) for two weeks and 50 pence after that.

As well as newspaper staples such as puzzles, showbiz gossip, recipes and horoscopes, the paper also carried reports on the plight of albino children in Africa and the "army" of British youngsters who have to look after their parents.

The paper, aimed at those aged 35 to 55, promises to be free from political bias, focus on good news and bad, and mix up traditionally male and female stories rather than having separate sections.

A cut-price version of The Independent, the "i", was launched in 2010 but Trinity Mirror said the new daily will be "an entirely new newspaper, not a sister title or light version" of the Daily Mirror, its main publication.

The Daily Mirror has lost 12 per cent of sales year on year, down to just over 800,000 in January.

The new paper is being launched shortly after The Independent said it would be printing its last print edition on March 26 and shifting fully online.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 01, 2016, with the headline Brand New Day in British newspaper publishing. Subscribe