After Trinity Mirror closed The New Day, the newspaper for people who didn’t read newspapers, it let it be known that the “experiment” had been valuable.
Lessons had been learned. Just because it lasted only nine weeks and hardly anyone bought it, the exercise had been worthwhile. It had been a bold initiative but, you know, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
It would appear to be a new company mantra. In announcing its latest closure, this time of a relatively new regional title, the Trinity Mirror spokesperson said:
“It was a bold move to launch a new title in the current climate and we believe one well worth taking... The project has given us a valuable experience.”
I would guess that the value lies in realising that newsprint is not the future and to launch a newspaper is now a foolhardy undertaking.
In fact, on this occasion, Trinity Mirror was coping with a situation not of its making. The Grantham Target was founded in January 2015 by Local World, the publisher that Trinity Mirror acquired in October 2015.
The Target, priced at 50p, was conceived as a competitor to the 95p Grantham Journal, published by Johnston Press. But it didn’t take off.
As the TM spokesperson put it, the paper did not manage to “gain a strong enough foothold.” So this week’s issue is the last.
Sales were not sufficient “to maintain the print product.” Instead, having “seen a significant growth in digital audience”, the Target “will continue to serve the community online editorially and commercially.”
Sources: HoldTheFrontPage/Press Gazette
