Northern newspaper to stop publishing – after just five weeks
Publishing group Cumbrian Newspapers (CN) is shutting down its most recently launched title after just five weeks in print, after failing to sell enough copies.
CN launched 24 – The North's National on 20 June, a Monday to Friday publication with a cover price of 40p and the aim of "giving readers a national newspaper with a northern slant". Its last edition will be published tomorrow.
The publishing group said there would be no job losses as a result of the closure.
“We were proud of the design and content and had encouraging feedback and buy-in from advertisers but unfortunately copy sales are just not high enough to justify continuing daily publication," said CN Group editorial director David Helliwell.
“It was always a calculated risk to see whether there was enough of a gap for us to squeeze into beside the big beasts of the daily market and it hasn't come off."
He added: “We launched quickly, failed quickly and learned an awful lot along the way. We’re obviously disappointed it didn't work out but it hasn't diminished our appetite for trying new publications, be they print or digital.
“The closure in no way reflects on the dedicated efforts of the small editorial team who produced 24 on a daily basis to a high standard."
The demise of The North's National follows Trinity Mirror's decision to call it quits with the New Day, which was last published in May, having launched in February. However, newspapers more generally have been boosted in recent weeks, with circulation figures increasing in June compared with May.