The Yorkshire Post
 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Yorkshire Post Newspapers |
| Editor | Jeremy Clifford |
| Founded | 1754 |
| Political alignment | Centre-right |
| Headquarters | Leeds, England |
| Circulation | 39,698 (December 2010 – June 2011)[1] |
| Website | http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/ |
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, covering the whole of Yorkshire as well as parts of north Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. It has satellite offices in Sheffield, York, Hull, Harrogate and Scarborough, as well as correspondents in Westminster and the City of London. Alongside The Scotsman it is one of the flagship titles owned by Johnston Press. Founded in 1754, it is one of the oldest newspapers in the country. The current editor is Jeremy Clifford.[2]
It regards itself as a national broadsheet, rather than a local news carrier, and its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". Its focus on international and national news gives it a wider focus than that usually associated with a provincial newspaper; editions are available throughout the United Kingdom.
It is generally considered to be on the right of the political spectrum, supporting the Conservative Party (indeed its owners used to be known as Yorkshire Conservative Newspapers Limited until the 1960s) and bitterly opposing the ban on hunting.
History
The paper was founded in 1754, as the Leeds Intelligencer, making it one of Britain's first daily newspapers. The Leeds Intelligencer was a weekly newspaper until it was given its current name and was published daily in 1866.[4]
The first issue of The Yorkshire Post, on 2 July 1866 (after the change of title from the Intelligencer), included the following statement:
| “ | the political principles of this journal are Conservative; while supporting every practical improvement, it will resist organic changes ... It will be at once conservative and progressive, a foe to democracy and revolution, but the firm friend of all constitutional reform. | ” | |
| — Yorkshire Post, 2 July 1866[5] | |||
The newspaper broke the story of the Edward VIII abdication crisis under the editorship of Arthur Mann.[6] At its peak in the 1950s it sold 120,000 copies a day. This figure had dropped to 40,000 by 2012,[6] rising to nearer 90,000 on a weekend.
As well as publishing regular supplements on sport, rural affairs, culture and motoring it runs an extensive business section with two weekly pull-out supplements.
In 2012, as its parent company Johnston Press sought to cut costs, it was merged with the Yorkshire Evening Post – the local newspaper for Leeds - with the then editor, Peter Charlton, overseeing both titles. The merger saw the formation of combined departments for news, business, sport and features – with correspondents writing for both titles.
Among its current staff are investigative journalist Rob Waugh, as well as sports writers Richard Sutcliffe and Nick Westby.
In February 2012 Johnston Press announced that printing of The Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post in Leeds would be switched to their plant at Dinnington near Sheffield and the Leeds printing facility closed.
In September 2013, it was announced the Wellington Street premises would be demolished as journalists had already moved out. Preliminary demolition began in March 2014, while in April 2014 it was announced the iconic tower would be spared.
In March 2014, 'The' was reintroduced on the name of the paper after 46 years.[7]
References
- ↑ "ABC figures: How the regional dailies performed". HoldTheFrontPage (UK). 31 August 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- ↑ Merrill, John C. and Harold A. Fisher. The world's great dailies: profiles of fifty newspapers (1980) pp 366-72
- ↑ Old Yorkshire Post Leeds HQ set for demolition, Yorkshire Post (10 September 2013)
- ↑ Caunce, Stephen (1993). "Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd: Perseverance rewarded". In Chartres, John; Honeyman, Katrina. Leeds City Business. Leeds University Press. pp. 24–56. ISBN 0-85316-157-7.
- ↑ Caunce, Stephen (1993). "Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd: Perseverance rewarded". In John Chartres and Katrina Honeyman. Leeds City Business. Leeds University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-85316-157-7.
- 1 2 Sweney, Mark (14 April 2012). "Yorkshire Post publisher scraps editors' posts on regional papers". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ "Yorkshire Post Reinstates 'The' After 46-year Absence". Johnston Press. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
Further reading
- Merrill, John C. and Harold A. Fisher. The world's great dailies: profiles of fifty newspapers (1980) pp 366-72