Twelve daily newspapers and eleven Sunday-only weekly newspapers are distributed nationally in the United Kingdom. Others circulate in Scotland only and still others serve smaller areas. National daily newspapers publish every day except Sundays and 25 December. Sunday newspapers may be independent; e.g. The Observer was an independent Sunday newspaper from its founding in 1791 until it was acquired by The Guardian in 1993, but more commonly, they have the same owners as one of the daily newspapers, usually with a related name (e.g. The Times and The Sunday Times), but are editorially distinct.

UK newspapers can generally be split into two distinct categories: the more serious and intellectual newspapers, usually referred to as the broadsheets, and sometimes known collectively as the "quality press", and others, generally known as tabloids, and collectively as the 'popular press', which have tended to focus more on celebrity coverage and human interest stories rather than political reporting or overseas news. The tabloids in turn have been divided into the more sensationalist mass market titles, or 'red tops', such as The Sun and the Daily Mirror, and the middle-market papers, the Daily Express and the Daily Mail.

Most of the broadsheets, so called because of their historically larger size, have changed in recent years to a compact format, the same size as the tabloids. The Independent and The Times were the first to do so. The Guardian moved in September 2005 to what is described as a 'Berliner' format, slightly larger than a compact. Its Sunday stablemate The Observer followed suit. Both The Guardian and The Observer now use the tabloid format, having done so since January 2018. Despite these format changes, these newspapers are all still considered 'broadsheets'.

Other Sunday broadsheets, including The Sunday Times, which tend to have a large amount of supplementary sections, have kept their larger-sized format. The national Sunday titles usually have a different layout and style from their weekday sister papers, and are produced by separate journalistic and editorial staff.

All the major UK newspapers currently have websites, some of which provide free access. The Times and The Sunday Times have a paywall requiring payment on a per-day or per-month basis by non-subscribers. The Financial Times business daily also has limited access for non-subscribers. The Independent became available online only upon its last printed edition on 26 March 2016. However, unlike the previously mentioned newspapers, it does not require any payment to access its news content. Instead the newspaper offers extras for those wishing to sign up to a payment subscription, such as crosswords, Sudoku puzzles, weekend supplements and the ability to automatically download each daily edition to read offline. The London Economic is another example of a British digital/online only newspaper; however, unlike The Independent it has never run a print publication.

Most towns and cities in the UK have at least one local newspaper, such as the Evening Post in Bristol and The Echo in Cardiff. Local newspapers were listed in advertising guides such as the Mitchell's Press Directories.

They are not known nationally for their journalism in the way that (despite much syndication) some city-based newspapers in the USA are (e.g. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times). An exception to this was the Manchester Guardian, which shortened its name to The Guardian in 1959 and relocated its main operations to London in 1964. The Guardian Media Group produced a Mancunian paper, the Manchester Evening News, until 2010 when along with its other local newspapers in the Greater Manchester area it was sold to Trinity Mirror.

Broadsheet and former broadsheet newspapers

Title Days of publication Circulation Established Editor Owner Political orientation Political party support in the 2024 general election Format The Sunday Times Sundays 647,622 1821 Ben Taylor News Corporation Centre-right Labour Party Broadsheet The Times Daily 365,880 1785 Tony Gallagher None Compact The Daily Telegraph Daily 317,819 1855 Chris Evans Press Holdings (Barclay twins) Right-wing Conservative Party Broadsheet The Sunday Telegraph Sundays 248,288 1961 Allister Heath The Observer Sundays 136,656 1791 Paul Webster Tortoise Media Centre-left Labour Party Compact The i Paper Daily 131,562 2010 Oliver Duff Daily Mail and General Trust Non-partisan None The Guardian Daily 105,134 1821 Katharine Viner Scott Trust Limited's Guardian Media Group Centre-left Labour Party iWeekend Saturdays N/A 2017 Oliver Duff Daily Mail and General Trust Non-partisan None The Independent N/A 1986 Geordie Greig Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel Alexander Lebedev Evgeny Lebedev Centrist Labour Party Online only Financial Times Daily 106,038 1888 Roula Khalaf Nikkei Inc. Centre to centre-right Labour Party Broadsheet

Tabloid newspapers

Title Days of publication Circulation Established Editor Owner Political orientation Political party support in the 2024 general election The Sun Daily 1,210,915 1964 Victoria Newton News Corporation Right-wing Labour Party The Sun on Sunday Sundays 1,013,777 2012 None Daily Mail Daily 745,629 1896 Ted Verity Daily Mail and General Trust Conservative Party The Mail on Sunday Sundays 637,877 1982 David Dillon Daily Express Daily 163,610 1900 Gary Jones Reach plc Sunday Express Sundays 163,610 1918 Michael Booker Daily Mirror Daily 258,043 1903 Lloyd Embley Centre-left Labour Party Sunday Mirror Sundays 193,360 1915 Sunday People Sundays 65,460 1881 Peter Willis Daily Star Daily 146,949 1978 Jon Clark Largely non-political Count Binface Daily Star Sunday Sundays 87,798 2002 Denis Mann None Morning Star Daily N/A 1930 Ben Chacko People's Press Printing Society Left-wing None

Freesheet newspapers in urban centres

Title Days of publication Circulation Format Established Editor Owner Political orientation Distribution Political party support in the 2024 general election Metro Weekdays 951,684 Tabloid 1999 Ted Young Daily Mail and General Trust plc Largely non-political Wide availability in the major cities None City A.M. Tuesday to Thursday (mornings) 67,600 2005 Andy Silvester City A.M. Ltd Centre-right London Standard Weekly 302,602 1827 Dylan Jones Alexander Lebedev Lord Rothermere Greater London Labour Party The Shuttle 10,152 1870 Peter John Newsquest Media Group N/A Wyre Forest area of Worcestershire None Asian Express N/A 1999 N/A Media Buzz Ltd Wide availability in the major cities Yorkshire Reporter Monthly N/A 2013 Pick up Publications Ltd Widely available in Leeds and its surrounding areas

Street newspapers

Title Days of publication Circulation Established Owner Distribution The Big Issue Weekly 57,059 September 1991 The Big Issue UK-wide

Major news and political magazines

TitleEstablishedEditorOwnerPolitical orientation
New Statesman1913Jason CowleyMike DansonCentre-left
The Spectator1828Michael GovePaul MarshallRight-wing
Prospect1995Alan RusbridgerProspect Publishing LtdCentre-left
The Economist1843Zanny Minton BeddoesThe Economist GroupCentre
Tribune1937Ronan BurtenshawTribune Media GroupLeft-wing
The Week1995Jeremy O'GradyDennis PublishingCentre
Private Eye1961Ian HislopPressdram LtdNone

Newspapers in England

Regional newspapers in England

Exterior of Hampshire Chronicle office, 1999

Local newspapers in England

Newspapers in Northern Ireland

Title Market type Print time Political alignment Format Circulation The Belfast Telegraph Regional Morning British Unionist - Liberal Compact 35,931 The Irish News Regional Morning Irish Nationalist Compact 33,647 The News Letter Regional Morning British Unionist - Conservative Tabloid 13,374

Local newspapers

Newspapers in Scotland

Daily newspapers

Title Market type Print time Location Format Scottish circulation The Herald National – Quality Morning Scottish Broadsheet 47,020 The Scotsman National – Quality Morning Scottish Compact 38,423 The National National – Mid Market Morning Scottish Compact 2,986 Daily Record National – Tabloid Morning Scottish Tabloid 275,175 The Courier Regional Morning Scottish Compact 61,981 The Press and Journal Regional Morning Scottish Compact 71,044 Greenock Telegraph Local Morning Scottish Tabloid 14,342 Paisley Daily Express Local Morning Scottish Tabloid 7,538 Edinburgh Evening News Local Evening Scottish Tabloid 39,947 Evening Express Local Evening Scottish Tabloid 47,849 Evening Telegraph Local Evening Scottish Tabloid 23,631 Evening Times Local Evening Scottish Tabloid 52,400 The Daily Telegraph (Scottish edition) National – Quality Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Broadsheet 22,172 The Times (Scottish edition) National – Quality Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Compact 19,994 Scottish Daily Express National – Mid Market Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 65,689 Scottish Daily Mail National – Mid Market Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 109,643 Daily Star of Scotland National – Tabloid Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 65,084 Scottish Daily Mirror National – Tabloid Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 24,333 The Scottish Sun National – Tabloid Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 314,595 The Financial Times National – Quality Morning UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Broadsheet 3,528 The Guardian National – Quality Morning UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Berliner 14,069 i National – Quality Morning UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Compact 12,411 Metro, Scottish Edition Urban – Free Morning Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 125,002

Sunday newspapers

Title Market type Location Format Scottish circulation Scotland on Sunday National – Quality Scottish Broadsheet 50,897 Sunday Mail National – Tabloid Scottish Tabloid 354,396 The Sunday Post National – Tabloid Scottish Tabloid 224,471 The Sunday Times Scotland National – Quality Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Broadsheet 59,502 The Sunday Telegraph Scotland National – Quality Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Broadsheet 18,339 Mail on Sunday Scotland National – Mid Market Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 105,223 Scottish Sunday Express National – Mid Market Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 35,337 Scottish Sunday Mirror National – Tabloid Scottish edition of UK Newspaper Tabloid 21,809 The Observer National – Quality UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Berliner 17,880 The Independent on Sunday National – Quality UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Compact 6,317 Daily Star Sunday National – Tabloid UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Tabloid 26,889 The Sunday Sport National – Tabloid UK Newspaper widely available in Scotland Tabloid n/a

Newspapers in Wales

National newspapers

Regional daily newspapers

Regional newspapers

Papurau Bro

Papurau Bro ('Area Papers') are Welsh language newspapers produced nominally monthly (typically 10 issues a year with a summer break) which cover the news in a small area - a town, group of parishes, one or a few valleys, etc. - with a circulation of perhaps a few thousand each. There are between 50 and 60 Papurau Bro which cover the whole of Wales, plus the Welsh communities of Liverpool and London. Papers are frequently named after local features, connections, crafts, etc., or in dialect (clebran, clecs, clochdar, and clonc; all imply 'gossip'). The first papur bro (Y Dinesydd) appeared in 1973 in Cardiff, and the following decade saw the establishment of most of the others. Much of the work of producing the papers is done voluntarily (aside from the printing), although financial support is given by Bwrdd yr Iaith (Welsh Language Board). Some of the papers listed may have ceased publication.

  • Yr Angor (The Anchor) – Aberystwyth, Comins Coch, Llanbadarn Fawr, Penparcau and Waunfawr
  • Yr Angor – Merseyside Welsh Community
  • Yr Arwydd (The Signal) – Bodafon mountain area, Anglesey
  • Y Barcud (The Kite) – Tregaron and District, Ceredigion
  • Y Bedol (The Horseshoe) – Ruthin and District, Denbighshire
  • Y Bigwn (The Thorn) – Denbigh
  • Y Blewyn Glas (The Blue Grass) – Dyfi valley, Machynlleth, Powys
  • Y Cardi Bach (The Little Cardi) – Whitland, Carmarthenshire
  • Y Clawdd (The Dyke) – a reference to Offa's Dyke – Wrexham and District
  • Clebran (The Tattler) – Y Frenni
  • Clecs Y Cwm A'r Dref (Valley and Town Gossip) – Neath and District
  • Clochdar (Cackle) – Cynon Valley, Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf
  • Clonc (Gossip) – Lampeter and District
  • Cwlwm (The Knot) – Carmarthen
  • Dail Dysynni (Leaves of the Dysynni) – Dysynni valley, Tywyn, Gwynedd
  • Y Ddolen (The Link) – Ystwyth to Wyre valleys, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
  • Y Dinesydd (The Citizen) – Cardiff and District
  • Y Dydd (The Day) – Dolgellau, Gwynedd
  • Eco'r Wyddfa (The Snowdon Echo) – Llanrug, Llanberis and Llanddeiniolen parishes, Gwynedd
  • Y Fan A'r Lle – Brecon and District
  • Y Ffynnon (The Spring) – Eifionydd, Garndolbenmaen, Gwynedd
  • Y Gadlas (The Barnyard) – The district between the Conwy and Clwyd valleys
  • Y Gambo (The Horse-cart) – Southwest Ceredigion
  • Y Garthen (The Coverlet) – Teifi valley, Ceredigion
  • Y Glannau (The Riverbanks) – Lower Vale of Clwyd, St Asaph.
  • Glo Mân (Small Coal) – Aman valley, Carmarthenshire
  • Y Glorian (The Scales) – Top of the Rhondda valley, Tonpentre, Rhondda
  • Y Glorian – Llangefni, Anglesey
  • Goriad (The Key) – Bangor and Port Dinorwic
  • Yr Hogwr (The Sharpener) – Bridgend area
  • Llafar Bro (Area Speech) – Blaenau Ffestiniog and District, Gwynedd
  • Llais (The Voice) – Tawe valley, Swansea
  • Llais Aeron (The Voice of Aeron) – Aeron valley, Ceredigion
  • Llais Ardudwy (The Voice of Ardudwy) – Ardudwy, Gwynedd
  • Llais Ogwan (The Voice of Ogwen) – Ogwen valley, Bethesda, Gwynedd
  • Llanw Llŷn (The Flow of Llŷn (postcode area)) – Llŷn Peninsula, Pwllheli, Gwynedd
  • Lleu – Dyffryn Nantlle, Caernarfon
  • Y Llien Gwyn (The White Sheet) – Fishguard and District, Pembrokeshire
  • Y Lloffwr (The Gleaner) – Dinefwr area, Carmarthen
  • Nene – Ponciau, Penycae, Johnstown and Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham
  • Yr Odyn (The Kiln) – Conwy valley, Llanrwst, Conwy
  • Papur Fama (Moel Famau mountain Paper) – Mold and District, Flintshire
  • Papur Menai (The Menai Paper) – Menai strait east of Penmon, Anglesey
  • Papur Pawb (Everybody's Paper) – Talybont, Taliesin, Tre'r Ddol, Ceredigion
  • Papur Y Cwm (The Valley Paper) – Gwendraeth valley, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire
  • Y Pentan (The Ingle-nook) – Conwy Valley and estuary
  • Pethe Penllyn (Penllyn Things) – five parishes of Penllyn, Bala, Gwynedd
  • Plu'r Gweunydd (Cotton Grass) – Y Foel, Llangadfan, Llanerfyl, Llanfair Caereinion, Adfa, Cefn Coch, Llwydiarth, Llangynyw, Dolanog, Rhiwhiraeth, Pontrobert, Meifod and Welshpool, Powys
  • Y Rhwyd (The Net) – North West Anglesey
  • Seren Hafren (The Star of the Severn) – Severn Valley, Newtown, Powys
  • Tafod-Elai (The Tongue of the Ely) – Taff Ely, Cardiff
  • Tafod Tafwys (The Tongue of the Thames) – for Welsh learners in London
  • Y Tincer (The Tinker) – Mouths of the Glyn, Llangorwen, Tirymynach, Tremeurig and Borth valleys, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
  • Tua'r Goleuni (Towards the Light) – Rhymney valley, Caerphilly
  • Wilia – Swansea and District
  • Yr Wylan (The Seagull) – Penrhyndeudraeth, Porthmadog, Beddgelert and District, Gwynedd
  • Yr Ysgub (The Wheatsheaf) – Ceiriog, Tanat and Cain valleys, Powys

Non-English-language newspapers

Several newspapers in languages other than English are published in Britain, for immigrant and expatriate readers. Newspapers, both national and local, in Arabic, Bulgarian, Bangla, Italian, Korean, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu, and other languages are published.

Title Published Language Audience BG Ben Fortnightly Bulgarian Bulgarian newspaper for people living in UK Hanin Herald Weekly Korean Newspaper for the Korean community in the UK and abroad Tydzień Polski Weekly Polish Newspaper aimed at Britain's Polish community Cooltura Weekly Polish Most popular magazine for the Polish community in the UK Goniec Polski Polish Weekly Magazine Weekly Polish Magazine for the Polish community in the UK Polish Express Weekly Polish Tabloid magazine for the Polish Community in the UK Nowy Czas Fortnightly Polish Magazine for educated Polish people living in UK Sing Tao Daily Chinese Newspaper aimed at Britain's and Europe's Chinese community Achievements Russian UK's national Russian newspaper Nuacht24 Daily Irish For the Irish speaking community of Northern Ireland and Irish immigrants Y Cymro Weekly Welsh For the Welsh-speaking areas of Wales and Welsh immigrants Garavi Gujarat Weekly Gujarati Newspaper for the Gujarati community in the UK established in 1968

Specialist newspapers

For specific ethnic groups

For specific religions

Politics

Sport

  • The Cricket Paper – Friday paper summarising the week's cricketing news and action
  • The Football Paper
  • League Express – Monday paper covering all Rugby League news, results and fixtures
  • The Non-League Paper – Sunday paper summarising the weekend's non-league football action and the week's non-league football news
  • Racing +
  • Racing Post – daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper
  • The Rugby Paper – Sunday paper summarising the weekend's rugby union action and the week's rugby union news
  • The Sports Journal – Friday paper looking back at the weeks sporting news
  • Wisden – weekly paper covering cricket news, articles, results and fixtures & other cricket related stories

Miscellaneous & special interests

Restricted circulation newspapers

Corporate newspapers

Prison newspapers

  • Inside Time – a newspaper for prisoners and detainees.

Student newspapers

Student newspapers include:

National

  • Student Times – free national student newspaper
  • The Tab – national tabloid-style student news website

Regional

Defunct newspapers

See also

Notes

Further reading

  • Viscount Camrose. Brutish Newspapers and their Controllers (1947) , ownership of all major papers in 1947