As reported by the Newspaper Society: At a lunch to celebrate the Greenwich Mercury’s 180th anniversary, Sir Ray said that the publisher had launched 21 titles since the recession began, including seven new South London Press titles which “reversed the circulation trend and added substantially to local revenues.”
Millions of readers take a local weekly and there are around 1,000 such weekly newspapers in the UK today, Sir Ray said, before going on to speak about the work of his staff in launching the group’s new titles: “They have launched a magnificent 21 new titles since the recession began. More are planned.”
Sir Ray spoke of the effects of the economic downturn on the newspaper industry: “However long the battle lasts Tindle Newspapers will fight for its titles and its staff. Allow me to end by saying this. One swallow doesn’t make a summer but I’m pleased to tell you that, for the first time for a considerable period, last week every one of our London titles went into profit.”
NS president Adrian Jeakings, Archant chief executive, also spoke at the lunch which was attended by local dignitaries from Greenwich and members of the press. He said: “Life may have changed considerably since the founding of the Mercury but at least one thing has remained constant – people’s need to know what’s going on wherever they live.
“And good local papers, like the Mercury, are still at the heart of their communities, meeting that need.
“In fact, demand for local news and information, whether in print, online or delivered to a mobile device, has never been greater than it is today. And independent research shows that local newspapers, and their websites, are more than twice as trusted as any other medium in the UK.
“I believe that this can only be due to the extraordinary work of papers like the Greenwich Mercury over the years.
“Today things are changing rapidly in the world of media and the Greenwich Mercury, after 180 years of continuous publishing, is changing with them.
“It is of course still available in print but also online in a variety of forms, and is now getting even closer to the communities it serves with the launch of three hyper local editions this year.”
