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| News... but not as you know it | |
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%2c_May_23%2c_2024.png) Metro cover on 23 May 2024 | |
| Type | Freesheet |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | DMG Media |
| Editor | Deborah Arthurs |
| Founded | 16 March 1999; 25 years ago (1999-03-16) |
| Political alignment | Non-partisan |
| Headquarters | Northcliffe House,Kensington High Street, London, England |
| Circulation | 951,036 (as of May 2024)[1] |
| ISSN | 1469-6215 |
| OCLC number | 225917520 |
| Website | metro |
Metro is a Britishfreesheettabloidnewspaper published byDMG Media. The newspaper is distributed from Monday to Friday mornings on public places in areas of England, Wales and Scotland (excluding public holidays and the period betweenChristmas Eve andNew Year's Day inclusive). Copies are also handed out to pedestrians. In 2018, Metro overtookThe Sun to become the most circulated newspaper in theUnited Kingdom.[2]
Metro is owned byDaily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), part of the same media group as theDaily Mail andThe Mail on Sunday, but in some areasMetro operates as afranchise with a local newspaper publisher, rather than as a wholly owned concern. While being a sister paper to theconservativeDaily Mail, the newspaper has never endorsed any political party or candidate, and says it takes a neutral political stance in its reporting.[3][2]
TheMetro free newspaper concept originated in Sweden, where a publication of the same name was launched in 1995 byMetro International. British newspaper executives Jonathan Harmsworth and Murdoch MacLennan, fromDMGT, were reportedly inspired by the idea and flew to Stockholm on a 'fact-finding mission' to develop their version.[4] There were also reports in the late 1990s that both Metro International andRupert Murdoch'sNews International were considering launching free newspapers in the UK that might prove a commercial threat to DMGT's businesses.[5]
DMGT subsequently launchedMetro, using the same name as Metro International's publications but with a different logo, on Tuesday 16 March 1999. This UK version ofMetro had no relation to Metro International or its sister newspapers in other countries.Metro was launched initially as a London-only newspaper with an original print run of 85,000 copies, which were distributed via dedicated bins in London Underground stations.[4] The newspaper was produced at DMGT's printworks and office complex atSurrey Quays in southeast London, away from the company's main newspaper office inKensington, west London.[5]
In the years following its launch, the paper's distribution was gradually expanded to other major UK cities, including Manchester and Birmingham. By February 2003,Metro had become operationally profitable for the first time.[5] Its reach was extended further in 2004, becoming available in more urban areas, including Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol and Bath.[6][7]
Metro's circulation continued to rise in the following years, though readership temporarily dipped after the7 July 2005 London bombings. There was a 1.8% decline – the equivalent of around 9,000 readers – in copies picked up in the weeks following the attacks due to a reduction in the number of people using London's public transport network, coupled with the temporary closure of someLondon Underground lines whereMetro was distributed.[8]
Following several years of expansion, in 2006 the newspaper's production was moved to DMGT's main newspaper offices atNorthcliffe House in Kensington, west London.[5] That same year the newspaper expanded further, launching inCardiff andLiverpool in joint venture deals withTrinity Mirror.[5]
At the time of its tenth anniversary in 2009, the newspaper was distributed in sixteen "major" UK cities and its circulation had grown to 1.3 million.[9] Despite the increase in readership, that same year, management also closed five regionalMetro offices in Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, and Bristol, which were responsible for producing regionalised arts, entertainment, and food pages, citing "challenging economic conditions".[10]
By 2011,Metro's distribution network had expanded to more than 50 cities in the UK. In that year media commentatorRoy Greenslade said the publication was now making "bumper profits" and – mistakenly, as it is not national – dubbed it "Britain's most successful national newspaper".[11]
Metro Ireland was launched in Dublin on 10 October 2005. It followed a legal battle over the title's name with the publishers of theIrish Independent and Dublin'sEvening Herald, which launched its free newspaper calledHerald AM.[12] Both titles were loss-making, despite having a combined circulation of 145,000 in theGreater Dublin Area. On 2 July 2009, it was announced that the two freesheets would merge under theMetro banner,[13] an operation completed by 2010.[14] However, the Irish edition was closed down in December 2014.
For the first time in its history,Metro temporarily published seven days a week during the2012 Summer Olympics and the2012 Summer Paralympics, providing free copies to spectators at the Games as well as the general public.[15] The newspaper struck a reported £2.25 million deal with sportswear manufacturerAdidas to run cover wrap adverts on each of the 17 days of the Olympics.[16]
After more than a decade in charge, editor Kenny Campbell was replaced as editor byTed Young in 2014. Young's appointment coincided with several changes at the newspaper, including the separation of the print and online editions, along with an expansion ofMetro's distribution in the UK.[17]
In November 2016, comedianRichard Herring stepped down from writing his weekly column forMetro. Fellow TV comedianDom Joly later replaced him in the slot.[18]
In 2017,Metro became the most-read newspaper in the UK, according to monthlyNational Readership Survey figures.[19] In March 2018,Metro officially overtookThe Sun in total print circulation, according to ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)) figures.[2]
During theCOVID-19 pandemicMetro suffered financial losses from reduced advertising during travel disruptions and cost increases. In 2023 the newsroom was restructured into one team for both print and online led by editor-in-chief Deborah Arthurs, resulting in some redundancies including editorTed Young. In 2024 it was profitable in both print and online.[20]
The majority of the newspaper's content is produced atNorthcliffe House inKensington, west London. There are no regional editions within England and Wales, except for occasional differences in sports and arts content catered to specific local audiences. A separate, small team produces a Scottish edition ofMetro; however, often the only substantial difference between the two versions is the front page.
The newspaper comprises three main categories: news, features and sport. The news section includesGuilty Pleasures, which typically contains one to four pages of showbiz and entertainment news; letters pages; and a page dedicated to business news. A popular feature of the letters pages is Rush-Hour Crush, in which readers send in anonymous messages to fellow users of public transport who they consider attractive. The column has led to at least one marriage.[21] The news section also features occasional feature columns from political pundits such asSophy Ridge ofSky News.[22] However, while offering analysis, these columns do not typically express endorsements of political positions or candidates, thus not being considered as op-ed columns as in other newspapers.
The features section contains a mix of articles on travel, homes, style, health and science, as well as arts coverage and entertainment listings. The puzzles page currently features a crossword andSudoku.
Metro launched a website version of the newspaper in July 2001.[23] Between 2001 and 2014 most print edition articles were published on this website, along with additional online-only content such as blogs and opinion columns.
In 2014 production of the newspaper and the website were separated.[24] As a result, from 2014Metro newspaper andMetro Online were produced by separate organisations and written independently by different editorial teams while remaining part of the same parent company. Deborah Arthurs was appointed Editor ofMetro.co.uk in 2014, following her time as Femail Editor forMailOnline.[25]
In February 2021, the newspaper's separate website metro.news was abolished and merged back with metro.co.uk. Separate editorial teams continue to produce content for the website and print editions.[26]
Metro has faced competition in parts of the UK from other free newspapers, along with rivalry from paid-for national titles. Former editorTed Young used to say that his 'mantra' was to produce a newspaper that its readers would be willing to pay for.[3]
Metro International attempted to launch its own UK edition in 1999, being distributed inNewcastle upon Tyne'sTyne & Wear Metro system competing withDMGT'sMetro. After battling alongside each other with the same name, Metro International'sMetro changed its name toMorning News. This attempt was short-lived, however, andMorning News was discontinued shortly afterwards.[27]
In 2005,Rupert Murdoch said he was worried by competition fromMetro and that it had damaged the circulation of his newspaper theSun. He told a press conference he was watching the free newspaper market "keenly and apprehensively".[28] Murdoch'sNews International subsequently launched a London-based evening freesheet in 2006 calledThe London Paper. This was closed on 18 September 2009.[29]
London Lite was another free evening newspaper published in London. It operated only from 2006 to 2009; it was owned by the same parent company asMetro, and was seen as a "spoiler" to protect against the commercial threat fromThe London Paper.[30]
Another rival is theLondon Evening Standard, which became a freesheet in 2009, though unlikeMetro it is only published in the London region.[31]
Metro launched two newmobile app products in 2016:11versus11, which is a football news app, andGuilty Pleasures, a celebrity news app. Both apps offer personalised content based on a user's interest profile.[32]
In the run-up to the2015 United Kingdom general election, the thenUK Independence Party leaderNigel Farage declined to be interviewed byMetro, accusing them of bias against his party. This was denied by the newspaper's editor. All other national party leaders agreed to be interviewed, including Conservative prime ministerDavid Cameron and Labour leaderEd Miliband.[17]
Before the2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum,Metro published a cover-wrap advert on behalf of the Leave campaign, paid for by theDemocratic Unionist Party. The following day, the newspaper published another cover-wrap advert, this time from the Remain campaign. EditorTed Young said both adverts, which each cost more than £250,000 to place, generated around 300 complaints each, accusing the newspaper of both pro- and anti-Brexit bias.[33] Concerns were subsequently raised over why the Democratic Unionist Party placed an advert inMetro because the newspaper does not publish inNorthern Ireland.[34]
In May 2019, the paper was condemned by theNational Union of Journalists and thePublic and Commercial Services Union,[35][36] after an internal document leaked toThe Guardian showed evidence thatAmber Rudd,Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, had authorised the use of at least £250,000 of public money for a ten-week run of advertorials to be placed inMetro newspapers to "challenge the myths" around the government's controversialUniversal Credit programme.[37]The Trussell Trust also ran a counter-campaign called "Universal Credit Uncovered".[38] In June 2019, theDaily Mirror reported that 80 UK charities had filed a complaint to theAdvertising Standards Authority over "misleading Universal Credit adverts inMetro".[39] In July 2019, the Advertising Standards Authority announced it was launching an investigation into the DWP ads.[40] On 5 November 2019, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the campaign was misleading, branding the ads "exaggerated" and in some cases "unsubstantiated".[41] TheAdvertising Standards Authority upheld three complaint points whilst partially upholding a fourth.[42]
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