Independent Ends Print Edition, Goes Digital Only

indy
The Independent
has become the first UK national newspaper to end its print edition, and will transition to a digital-only version in just over a month, owners ESI Media have announced.

The Independent is the UKs fastest growing broadsheet newspaper website, having seen its monthly audience grow by 33.3 per cent in the last month to nearly 70m unique visitors globally. The site is profitable, and is expected to see revenues grow by 50 per cent this year, thanks largely to ad revenues.

The Independent and Independent on Sunday launched in October 1986 and was one of the youngest UK national daily newspapers. Originally published in broadsheet format, the newspaper adopted a tabloid or compact format in 2003, and launched a sister title, i, in 2010, which published a smaller daily edition for a cheaper price. i, which boasts higher circulation that The Independent, will continue to be published in print format, but has been sold to Johnston Press.

The shuttering of The Independent and Independent on Sundays print editions will surely come as a warning sign to many of the UKs other print newspapers, all of which have seen rapidly decreasing circulation since their peak in the early 90s as readers switched to online news sources.

“The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers,” said Evgeny Lebedev, owner of The Independent. “Theyre showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.”

The closure of the print edition will result in “some redundancies among editorial employees”, the company has confirmed, but will also create 25 new digital content roles. The last print edition of the Independent will be published on Saturday 26 March, while the last Independent on Sunday will be on 20 March.

“The unique editorial proposition of The Independent is perfectly suited to the global digital landscape,” said Steve Auckland, group CEO of ESI Media. “Following this decisive move to digital, we will be as focused as uncompromised as any startup, but with all the authority and trust of an established newsbrand – a truly unique proposition.

“We now have a clear and secure future path for our businesses. Its also a further opportunity for our advertisers to capitalise on our growing, smart, affluent and digitally savvy audience.”

“The Independent probably wont be the last UK newspaper to cull its print edition,” said Justin Taylor, UK managing director at Teads. “The core issue is that advertising revenues for print are in decline. Advertisers follow eyeballs, and the print circulations of most publishers are dwarfed by their vast digital audiences.

“Advertisers also recognise that they can be far more creative and targeted online – for example, tailoring the ad message to an individual consumer. Effectively monetising those digital audiences is now the number one priority for publishers. They need to find a way to deliver digital advertising that works for brands, without alienating their readers.”