 | |
| Type | Free daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | News Corp Australia |
| Publisher | Tamara Oppen |
| Editor | |
| Founded | 6 February 2001 |
| Ceased publication | 12 June 2015 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
| Website | www.mx.net.au |
mX was an Australianfree afternoon daily newspaper in the cities ofMelbourne,Sydney andBrisbane, owned and produced byNews Corp Australia. Targeted atcommuters, its main channels of distribution were inner-city railway stations, tram and bus stops, and majorCBD intersections. The last edition ofmX was published on 12 June 2015.
The firstmX was published inMelbourne on 6 February 2001,[1] hoping to capitalise on theMetro format, popular in Europe. The paper contained lighter news and sports articles, often containing strange stories and facts from around the world (under the headings "Nice One" and, "What The?"). The newspaper's approach was to focus much more on entertainment than news, compared tobroadsheet newspapers, or even othertabloids.
Melbourne Express, published by rivalFairfax Media, was this paper's competitor. Initially it used the same format, although it was released in the mornings rather than the afternoon. It began publication the day beforemX, but was soon overtaken due tomX's much broader use of colour, its greater availability, and its lighter tone. In addition,mX had no explanation at its launch, allowing readers to assume that it stood for "Melbourne Express" and that it was the paper known by that name.Melbourne Express ceased publication on 7 September 2001.
The broad success ofmX contributed to reduced sales of the afternoon edition of News Corporation stablemate theHerald Sun, its last edition being published on 21 December 2001.[2]
Following the success ofmX in Melbourne,Sydney andBrisbane editions were launched.
On 4 July 2005,mX launched a Sydney edition.Sydney City Council was considering a tender to lease Sydney footpaths to News Corporation for $362,000 annually, and charge otherfree daily newspaper a similar fee if they use the same location more than 40 times a year. Other newspapers, that are distributed by sellers on streets, are concerned about the possibility that they may be required to also pay such fees.
The Brisbane edition ofmX was launched on 5 March 2007, with an expected distribution of 40,000 copies per day.[3]
Being a commuter newspaper,mX was much thinner than other daily newspapers.
Central themes of most articles included U.S. celebrity gossip, new product lines, controversial events, rumours, celebrity trivia, and readers' gripes, amongst other attention-grabbing stories. Large photographs often appeared without any related story, only a caption describing their contents; conversely, news stories were rarely accompanied by photographs. Small, large, and full page advertisements were also a major contributor to the paper's overall make-up.
The newspaper launched an app in 2013.[4]
SomemX editions had beenstapled, as they tended to remain contained and not blow around as much. This decision was also based on the capabilities of publishing equipment and whether binding systems were installed at the production facilities.[6]
Occasionally themXmasthead was modified to capitalise on major events, such as a tennis ball and racquet during theAustralian Open, andlove hearts and using rose scented ink duringValentine's Day. On the day of theWedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the x was changed to aUnion Jack and many pages said "The royal wedding" other pages said "Not the wedding".[citation needed] In the lead-up to both the2007 federal election and2010 federal election, the front page of each issue bore a "disclaimer" warning of the number of election stories (if any) contained within.[citation needed]
On 28 May 2015, News Corp announced that the newspaper was closing down. The final edition was printed on 12 June 2015, and the corresponding mobile app was also closed down.[7]
In 2018mX was briefly revived in Melbourne as part of a promotion byCarlton & United Breweries. Published on four consecutive Wednesdays from 26 September, it was only available atFlinders Street,Flagstaff,Melbourne Central,Richmond andSouthern Cross stations.[8] The same stunt was pulled again in 2024, this time to promote theRising arts festival. Two issues were distributed to 60,000 city workers at key train stations in theMelbourne central business district.[9][10]