24 – Not Buying It Up North

24, the recently launched “national” title for the north is to close after just one month according to reports in The Press Gazette.  

The title, publish by CN Group and operated by a skeleton staff, featured content almost exclusively created by Press Association journalists. There will be no job losses resulting from the paper’s closure.

Speaking to journalists, David Heliwell, CN Group’s editorial director, said: “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.”

He continued: “We launched quickly, failed quickly and learned an awful lot along the way. We’re obvioulsy disappointed it didn’t work out but it hasn’t diminished our appetite for trying new publications, be they print or digital””

Heliwell was also quick to thank PA for their “considerable support”, highlighting the fact that the 24 project would not have been possible without them.

An Uphill Struggle

However, as reported on this blog prior to 24’s launch, the newspaper did face an uphill struggle to prove itself relevant to the various regional audiences it was targeting, particularly when trying to attract readers in Scotland with its separate political interests and sporting leagues.

The failure of 24 perhaps best demonstrates that a paid for (premium product) cannot survive on “general” news coverage which is most likely freely available elsewhere. 24 was competing with the nationals, the regionals, the locals and the hyper-locals, alongside the web, the radio and television. Really it didn’t stand a chance.

The success of The New European, a national weekly title published by Archant  at the same time as 24 and profitable since its first issue, is an example how newspapers can thrive in such a completive market.  Archant clearly understood, it’s not enough to target an audience, you have to give them something they cannot get elsewhere.