Gavin Thompson, the managing editor of The National issued the following statement: “Newsquest is consulting on the proposed closure of The National Wales.
“Despite the best efforts and dedication of the team, competition from free news outlets including BBC Wales online means The National Wales has not been able to grow its paying subscriber base to a sustainable level. A small number of roles are at risk as a result of this proposal and we are consulting with staff affected in an effort to minimise potential redundancies.”
The National, Wales, launched on St David’s Day, March 1, last year, online and with a souvenir print edition. The ambition was, said Gavin Thompson at the time, to provide a “quality national news platform that serves all of Wales”, providing “original and in-depth reporting packaged in an engaging way which provides value for readers and reaches new audiences.”
On its website, its mission statement read:
We endeavour to hold all political parties and those in power in Wales to account, to explain how our devolved government works and challenge the pros and cons of greater powers for the Senedd and open a frank discussion around independence.
We are – above all else – for Wales, with content relevant wherever you live, from Amlwch to Chepstow, Pembroke to Prestatyn. And if you’re part of the Welsh diaspora the other side of Offa’s Dyke or one of the international Welsh family, we keep you in touch with what’s happening in Wales.
In April 2021, a weekly print edition of The National was launched, which closed last November when the publishers decided to focus efforts on their digital offering.
From the outset, The National’s ambition was to be primarily subscription-financed. As Gavin Thompson said in The InPublishing Podcast in February, 500 subs approximately pays for one journalist.
Sadly, it appears that subscriber numbers have not reached the levels needed to keep the title afloat.
On Wednesday, 31 August, Gavin Thompson emailed recipients of The National's newsletters the following:
I am writing today to share the sad news that The National Wales is closing. We are so grateful for your support since the title launched 18 months ago.
We have achieved much. Our journalism has helped hold our governments to account, we have covered issues few others cared about and told stories no one else would.
I am hugely proud of all the journalists and contributors to the title over that time and I want to say thank you for helping us to tell those stories.
Wales deserves a strong national media and we will continue to play a part in that through our Welsh language site Corgi.Cymru. Newsquest journalists across Wales will keep championing and reporting on their communities on our local titles too, from the Western Telegraph in Pembrokeshire, the Leader in Wrexham to the South Wales Argus in Newport.
The National was designed to be primarily a subscriptions site. Not being solely dependent on big audiences needed for advertising would give us space to tell important, sometimes complex stories. Sadly, this year we’ve seen subscriptions fall. It’s hard for everyone right now and we understand that. But it means the site has become unsustainable.
Like you, I am sad that The National is ending. But I am proud of all we’ve done, and that we gave it our best.
Thank you again for all your support,
Gavin Thompson | Managing Editor
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