Saturday vs weekday newspaper sales gulf revealed | Newsweek editor bullish about growth
And meet the WSJ editor whose entire job is working to help jailed colleague Evan Gershkovich
Welcome to your daily newsletter from Press Gazette on Tuesday, 26 March, brought to you in association with the INMA World Congress of News Media in London happening April 22-26. Register by Friday, March 22 for best rates.
The UK's daily newspapers are slowly becoming predominately Saturday newspapers.
That is the trend borne out by our analysis of weekday versus Saturday newspaper circulations.
The UK's print market leader the Daily Mail now sells around 600,000 copies per day during the week but 1.2 million on a Saturday. At the other end of the market the FT sells 44,000 copies during the week but just over 91,000 (at £5.10 a pop) on a Saturday.
It's a smaller market than it used to be, but still one that is generating a significant amount of cash for publishers. If the Daily Mail Saturday edition was a website, it would be the most popular paywalled title in the UK.
We've spoken to Newsweek's new editor Jennifer H Cunningham about her ambitions for a title rapidly rising up the website rankings (up 130% year on year to 69 million visits in February, according to our latest US top 50).
And as we approach the anniversary of the arrest in Russia of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Friday we spoke to the title's assistant editor Paul Beckett whose entire job is now dedicated to working towards the release of his colleague.
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New from Press Gazette
Newsweek editor: We can claim back our place on kitchen tables across America
Previously editor-in-chief of Business Insider’s news division, Newsweek’s new executive editor Jennifer H Cunningham started work at the news magazine shortly before Press Gazette reported it had more than doubled its web traffic in a year.
Widening gulf between weekday and Saturday UK newspaper sales revealed
FT Weekend circulation is 106% higher than its weekday readership.
How Wall Street Journal is keeping ‘spotlight shining’ on Evan Gershkovich one year after arrest
The Wall Street Journal is aiming to act as “an employer our employees want us to be” as it pushes for the release of reporter Evan Gershkovich one year on from his arrest in Russia.
News in brief
Julian Assange is due to discover in a written decision today whether his final UK bid to bring an appeal over his extradition to the US can go ahead at the High Court. The arguments for and against were heard last month. (Press Gazette)
Lorraine Kelly will receive the BAFTA Special Award in May. She was praised for her "mastery of disarming guests with her warmth and relaxed approach" and the fact she "always manages to make the daily demands of live broadcasting look easy". (BAFTA)
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate has been dismissed using California's anti-SLAPP law as a judge said the case was "unabashedly... about punishing the defendants for their speech". (The Guardian)
Latest podcast
Podcast 67: Magazine ABCs winners and losers with Nada Arnot of The Economist
Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford discusses the latest UK magazine industry circulation figures with reporter Bron Maher.
They pick out the winners and losers from the latest crop of results and also hear from Economist executive vice president Nada Arnot about how the title’s cut-price daily edition Expresso achieved lift-off in 2023. She also explained why she is bullish about The Economist’s headline (print and digital) circulation figures returning to growth in this election year.
Also on Press Gazette
Top 50 news websites in the US: Climate news start-up The Cool Down enters ranking in February
Centre for Journalism closing so University of Kent can sell building
Reach creates 120-strong audio and video content team called Studio
Google’s new Sandbox advertising system could be ‘the end for a lot of publishers’
‘Profitability is versatility’: CEO says video-led future bright for The Independent
FT US journalists in dispute with management over call for extra $4k
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