 | |
| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Reach plc |
| Editor | Adam Moss |
| Founded | 1891; 134 years ago (1891) |
| Political alignment | Neutral,Populist |
| Headquarters | Coventry, England |
| Circulation | 3,213 (as of 2023)[1] |
| Website | coventrytelegraph |
TheCoventry Telegraph is a local Englishtabloid newspaper. It is published by Coventry Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary ofReach PLC Midlands Ltd, along with a number of other local publications.
It was founded asThe Midland Daily Telegraph in 1891 byWilliam Isaac Iliffe (1843–1917), and wasCoventry's firstdaily newspaper. Sold for half a penny, it was a four-pagebroadsheet newspaper.
In 1917, ownership of the paper changed to Iliffe's sonEdward Iliffe (later 1st Baron Iliffe), upon the father's death.
The only day the newspaper was unable to publish was 15 November 1940, owing to theblitz raid on the city.
It changed its name to theCoventry Evening Telegraph on 17 November 1941.[2]
From 1946 until the end of April 2004, a separate sports publication,The Pink, was printed every Saturday evening. It provided coverage of sport from the Midlands, as well as national and international sport. The fortunes ofCoventry City F.C. played a prominent role inThe Pink. With the 1998-99football season,The Pink became the first regional evening newspaper to provide same-day reports from all FA Premiership matches.[3] In 2016,Coventry Telegraph launched a new weekly podcast, centred around goings on atCoventry City F.C., titled 'The Pink'.
In the 1970s, theEvening Telegraph had a regular consumer page calledWatchdog, which was edited by Ken Burgess. Coincidentally, the BBC used the same name for what became its long-runningWatchdog series.
In 1985, the local independent radio station (then known asMercia Sound) and the Telegraph formed the Snowball Appeal, a charitable organisation whose aim is to raise money to help sick and needy children in Coventry andWarwickshire.[4]
In 1987, after 96 years of ownership by the Illife family, AmericanRalph Ingersoll II bought the controlling interest of the Iliffe family's newspapers. However, in 1991, the managing director, Chris Oakley, led a management buy-out, creatingMidland Independent Newspapers.
In 1997, the newspaper became a part of the then-Mirror Group when Midland Independent Newspapers was sold for £297 million. In 1999, Mirror Group merged with the regional newspaper group Trinity. Trinity Mirror is now known asReach plc.
On 2 October 2006, theTelegraph simply became theCoventry Telegraph, reflecting its switch to a morning publication.[5][6] The switch to a morning paper saw a change in emphasis with the printed edition concentrating on exclusive and community news, leaving breaking news to its website.
In the summer of 2014, the newspaper began a social media campaign entitled #bringCityhome, which helped ensureCoventry City F.C.'s return to the city following their exile atSixfields in Northampton. The campaign drew praise from national media and figures within the football world. It was shortlisted at the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards 2014 in the Campaign of the Year category andSimon Gilbert, who spearheaded the campaign, was nominated for Sports Journalist of the Year.[7]
The headquarters for a significant period of the paper's history was at 157 Corporation Street, Coventry,CV1 1FP. The foundation stone was laid by the then proprietor,Lord IliffeG.B.E, on 21 November 1957.[8][9][10]
In the summer of 2012, the paper moved its headquarters to Thomas Yeoman House at Coventry Canal Basin, in Leicester Row. The decision by the proprietors was a consequence of the changing patterns of work at the paper (and the industry in general). With the number of staff reduced and no longer needing the space for the discontinued printing presses, it was decided that a smaller, more modern headquarters was now necessary. In May 2017 the Corporation Street site was opened to the public so they could view it almost as it had been left when it closed.[11] When the exhibition ends in July 2018 Complex Developments Ltd hope to turn the buildings into a 100-bedhotel.[12]
The current editor of theCoventry Telegraph and CoventryLive is Adam Moss.[13] He has been in post since September 2020, joining from Reach PLC Midlands, where he had taken over from former editorGraeme Brown, who left to pursue his new job as the editor of theBirmingham Live website.[14] As well as serving as editor ofCoventry Telegraph, Moss also serves as editor for Reach's main Leicestershire-based daily title, theLeicester Mercury and its digital news brand, LeicestershireLive.[13]
Below is anincomplete list of editors of theCoventry Telegraph andCoventry Evening Telegraph:
The Telegraph is published Monday to Saturday in the following editions:
Current:
Former:
Historical copies of theCoventry Telegraph, dating back to 1914, are available to search and view in digitised form at theBritish Newspaper Archive.[26]
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