Going for a (very) young readership
One of Britain’s most successful new newspapers is First News, which targets the 7-14 age group. Its most recent ABCs show an average weekly sale of over 38,000, but its readership is an impressive 763,000 because one in five UK schools subscribes. There are more details about its background and its upcoming second anniversary at Roy Greenslade’s blog.
Its editorial is a mix of environmental, third-world and animal stories, and it seems to be a print version of Newsround, a programme which I still believe was the most important I ever watched, given where I’ve ended up. (Press Gang comes a close second.)
First News, though, gives us a glimpse at a market that is increasingly important for “grown-up” papers. At the Irish Times, you can see the push on the regular Cúl for Kids GAA magazines as proof of that. The myriad posters in the British press are aimed at school walls as much as general readers. Does it attract readers for life? I don’t know, but it attracts sponsorship in a thriving area, boosts circulation and means that newspaper branding gets blue-tacked onto many, many walls.
An expensive way to stand out from the mainstream masses
10:18 am
As long as they don’t resort to a bebospeak edition, I’m all for it.
Comment by Green InkAh, Press Gang.