New research: Some 198 UK local newspapers have closed since 2005

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.

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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.

Previous Press Gazette research indicated that between 2005 and 2011, 242 newspapers closed and 70 launched.

Full data:

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