Some 46 local and regional newspapers have closed since the beginning of 2015. This compares with the launch of 29 newspapers, making a net loss of 17.
According to Press Gazette’s tally this makes a net loss of 198 local newspapers since 2005.
Research by the Media Reform Coalition found their were 1,122 local newspaper titles in the UK in 2015.
Related
In addition to the overall reduction in the number of titles, the total number of journalists working on local newspapers is reckoned to have at least halved since 2005 (as has the industry’s revenue). Numerous daily titles have gone to weekly publication, and many weekly titles no longer have dedicated editorial teams (instead sharing resources across a group).
The newspapers that have closed and launched in the past two years are visible on the map above. Green indicates a launch, red indicates a closure and blue indicates a newspaper which launched and then closed.
Three newspapers launched and closed in the last two years. This includes 24, the daily set up for north England and south-west Scotland which closed just one month after launching earlier this year after not having enough sales.
Elsewhere, several newspapers merged, including the Dewsbury Reporter and the Mirfield Reporter and Todmorden News and Hebden Bridge News.
The North West and Yorkshire have been most affected by closures. In Yorkshire, 11 newspapers closed and two opened.
In the North West, 12 newspapers closed and three opened. This was in large part after Trinity Mirror replaced eight free weeklies in the area with the Manchester Weekly News.
It was a healthier picture in Wales, where three newspapers opened, all by Wales-based MegaGroup.
In London, seven newspaper opened over the last two years, including four by Tindle Newspapers.
Johnston Press closed 19 newspapers and merged a further six newspapers into three.
Trinity Mirror has closed 17 newspapers, launched one, as well as launching and closing the Grantham Target.
2015 saw the launch of 19 newspapers and the closure of 33; in 2016 there were 11 launches and 13 closures.
Press Gazette calculated that between 2012 and 2015, 48 newspapers closed and 39 launched.
Full data:
| Title | Launched /closed |
Date reported | Frequency | Cost | Publisher |
| Norwich Advertiser | closed | 09 Jun 2016 | free | Archant | |
| Norwich Extra | launched | 09 Jun 2016 | Weekly | free | Archant |
| Wanstead & Woodford Recorder | launched | 27 Oct 2016 | weekly | free | Archant |
| 24 | launched and closed | 28 Jul 2016 | Daily | paid | CN Group |
| Cambridge Independent | launched | 20 Sep 2016 | Weekly | paid | Iliffe Media |
| The Hawick Paper | launched | 22 Aug 2016 | Weekly | paid | Jason Marshall |
| Peak Courier | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | weekly | Free | Johnston Press |
| Dronfield Advertiser | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | weekly | free | Johnston Press |
| Eckington Leader | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | weekly | Free | Johnston Press |
| Lutterworth Mail | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | free | Johnston Press | |
| Norfolk Citizen | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | Free | Johnston Press | |
| Northampton Mercury | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | free | Johnston Press | |
| Peterborough Citizen | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | Free | Johnston Press | |
| Rugby Review | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | Free | Johnston Press | |
| Sheffield Gazette | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | Free | Johnston Press | |
| South Bognor View | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | Free | Johnston Press | |
| South Elms Gazette | closed | 07 Oct 2015 | Free | Johnston Press | |
| Hebden Bridge Times | closed | 13 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Hebden Bridge & Todmorden Times | launched | 13 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Todmorden News | closed | 13 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Dewsbury Reporter | closed | 21 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Dewsbury Reporter and Mirfield Reporter | launched | 21 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Mirfield Reporter | closed | 21 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Antrim Times | closed | 22 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Ballymena Times | closed | 22 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Ballymena Times & Antrim Times | launched | 22 Oct 2015 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Sunday Journal | closed | 22 Oct 2015 | Weekly | Johnston Press | |
| East Lothian News | closed | 22 Oct 2015 | Johnston Press | ||
| Musselburgh News | closed | 22 Oct 2015 | Johnston Press | ||
| St Helens Reporter | closed | 23 Oct 2015 | weekly | free | Johnston Press |
| Beverley Guardian | closed | 10 Aug 2016 | weekly | free | Johnston Press |
| Driffield Times & Post | closed | 10 Aug 2016 | weekly | paid | Johnston Press |
| Malton and Pickering Mercury | closed | 10 Aug 2016 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| South Yorkshire Times | closed | 08 Dec 2016 | weekly | Johnston Press | |
| Carmarthenshire Herald | launched | 24 Feb 2015 | Weekly | Paid | MegaGroup |
| Llanelli Herald | launched | 24 Feb 2015 | Weekly | paid | MegaGroup |
| Ceredigion Herald | launched | 31 Mar 2016 | Weekly | paid | MegaGroup |
| Wilmslow Guardian | launched | 14 May 2015 | Weekly | paid | Newsquest |
| Lancashire Telegraph Asian Image | launched | 03 Aug 2015 | Weekly | free | Newsquest |
| Droitwich News | launched | 04 Sep 2015 | Daily | paid | Newsquest |
| Oxfordshire Star | launched | 25 May 2016 | weekly | free | Newsquest |
| Eastbourne Independent | launched and closed | 11 Aug 2016 | weekly | free | Newsquest |
| The Times of Tunbridge Wells | launched | 06 Jan 2015 | weekly | free | One Media |
| The Times of Tonbridge | launched | 04 Mar 2016 | Weekly | free | One Media |
| City Matters | launched | 14 Sep 2016 | weekly | free | Roy Court |
| The Moorlander | launched | 08 Jun 2016 | Fortnightly | paid | Stuart Clarke |
| Oxford Paper | launched | 26 Jul 2016 | Weekly | paid | Taylor Newspapers |
| Catford Mercury | launched | 13 May 2015 | weekly | free | Tindle Newspapers |
| Plumstead Mercury | launched | 13 May 2015 | weekly | free | Tindle Newspapers |
| Abbey Wood & Thamesmead Mercury | launched | 13 May 2015 | weekly | free | Tindle Newspapers |
| Woolwich Mercury | launched | 13 May 2015 | weekly | free | Tindle Newspapers |
| Fulham Chronicle | launched | 19 Feb 2015 | weekly | free | Tindle Newspapers |
| Crosby Herald | closed | 05 Feb 2015 | weekly | Paid | Trinity Mirror |
| Formby Times | closed | 05 Feb 2015 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Manchester Weekly News | launched | 11 Feb 2015 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Oldham Advertiser | closed | 11 Feb 2015 | weekly | Free | Trinity Mirror |
| Salford Advertiser | closed | 11 Feb 2015 | Weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Tameside Advertiser | closed | 11 Feb 2015 | Weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Trafford Advertiser | closed | 11 Feb 2015 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Wimslow Express | closed | 11 Feb 2015 | Weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Coventry Times | closed | 08 Apr 2015 | Weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Glossop Advertiser | closed | 08 Apr 2015 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Stockport Times East | closed | 08 Apr 2015 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Stockport Times West | closed | 08 Apr 2015 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Nuneaton Tribune | closed | 10 Sep 2015 | Weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Grantham Target | launched and closed | 01 Jun 2016 | Weekly | paid | Trinity Mirror |
| Midweek Mercury (Stevenage) | closed | 02 Sep 2016 | free | Trinity Mirror | |
| Luton on Sunday | closed | 19 Oct 2016 | weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| OneMK | closed | 19 Oct 2016 | weekly | Free | Trinity Mirror |
| Northampton Herald and Post | closed | 19 Oct 2016 | weekly | Free | Trinity Mirror |
| Crawley News | closed | 20 Oct 2016 | Weekly | free | Trinity Mirror |
| Wokingham Paper | launched | 16 Mar 2015 | weekly | paid | Xn Media |
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