Websites using Newsquest

Okay, let s break down Newsquest, covering its overview, revenue, alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

Newsquest Overview

• What it is: Newsquest is one of the UK s largest regional and local news publishers. It s a subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc., a major US media company.
• Focus: Newsquest primarily publishes a wide range of local newspapers, websites, and magazines across the UK. These publications cover local news, sports, community events, business, and classifieds.
• Reach: Their titles span a significant portion of the UK, serving both urban and rural communities.
• Digital Presence: Newsquest has a strong online presence with associated websites for most of its publications, often using a paywall or subscription model for premium content. They have also developed and acquired various digital marketing products.
• Business Model: Newsquest generates revenue through a mix of print advertising, online advertising, digital subscriptions, and commercial printing. They ve also been actively expanding their digital marketing services.
• Key Strengths: Local knowledge, established brands in their areas, and wide reach.
• Challenges: Like other traditional publishers, they face challenges including the decline in print readership, competition from online news sources, and the need to evolve their digital offerings.

Revenue

• Specific Figures: Publicly available financial details for Newsquest UK are often incorporated into Gannett s overall financial reports, so it s difficult to give precise standalone figures. Gannett s financial reports will often break out UK Operations, which generally equates to Newsquest.

• Key Revenue Streams:

  • Advertising (Print and Digital): A significant portion of revenue comes from businesses buying advertising space in their newspapers and websites.
  • Digital Subscriptions: Revenue is growing from readers paying for online access to news content, often through tiered subscription models.
  • Commercial Printing: They often provide printing services for other companies.
  • Digital Marketing Services: Newsquest offers a range of digital marketing solutions, such as SEO, website design and social media management.

• Overall Trends: Like many news publishers, Newsquest has seen a shift in revenue from print to digital. While print advertising is declining, digital advertising and subscriptions are becoming more important. This has meant a focus on both growing digital reach and monetising it.

Alternatives

The media landscape is very competitive. Newsquest competes with:

• Other Regional Publishers:
  • Reach PLC: Publisher of many regional daily newspapers like the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, Birmingham Mail and many more.
  • JPI Media: Formed after the sale of Johnston Press (titles including The Scotsman, Sheffield Star, Yorkshire Post)
• National News Outlets (with regional content):
  • BBC News: The BBC’s regional news websites and TV/radio stations provide local news, although they are funded through public taxes.
  • Sky News: Sky News does provide some local coverage in some areas.
  • National Newspapers: Such as The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph. These often have sections focusing on regional issues.
• Online-Only News Platforms:
  • Hyperlocal news sites: Independent, community-focused sites covering specific neighbourhoods or areas. Often run by citizens with a passion for local news.
  • Citizen journalism platforms: Platforms like social media or Nextdoor where local news and discussions take place, often without traditional reporting standards.
• Social Media: Facebook, X (Twitter), local groups provide a mix of local information, although without journalistic oversight.
• Google News: Aggregates national and regional news sources.

Pricing

• Print Newspapers: Prices vary by title and location. They typically range from £1 to £2 per issue, some are cheaper and some are higher.
• Digital Subscriptions: Newsquest often employs a metered paywall or freemium model. You may get a limited number of articles free, then need to subscribe for full access.
  • Subscription costs vary depending on the title and plan. They can range from £5 - £10 per month.
  • They sometimes offer digital-only, print-only or combined print & digital options.
• Advertising: Rates vary greatly depending on the publication, print size or location, and digital placement. These are negotiated with Newsquest directly.
• Digital Marketing Services: Pricing is bespoke depending on specific requirements.

Customer Care Details

• Contact Methods: Newsquest customer care is generally managed on a publication-by-publication basis, not centrally. You’ll typically need to contact the specific newspaper or website you re dealing with. You can usually find contact info on their website:
  • Phone: Each publication usually has a local phone number for customer queries.
  • Email: You can typically find email addresses for general inquiries, subscriptions, and advertising.
  • Contact Forms: Many of the websites will have contact forms for making inquiries.
• Types of Support:
  • Subscriptions: Assistance with setting up or cancelling subscriptions, payment issues, and account management.
  • Advertising: Inquiries from businesses about advertising options.
  • Editorial: Feedback or complaints about news coverage.
  • Website Issues: Help with technical issues or accessibility concerns.
• Response Times: Response times will vary depending on the publication, query type, and current workload of the local team.
• Common Queries: Common issues reported by subscribers include difficulty cancelling subscriptions and inconsistent content behind paywalls.

Key Takeaways

• Newsquest is a significant player in the UK regional news landscape, but faces challenges and is transitioning to digital.
• Its revenue mix is evolving as digital platforms grow in importance.
• Competition is strong from other regional publishers, national outlets, and digital-only platforms.
• Pricing structures vary based on publication and platform.
• Customer support is generally handled at the local level, so you must contact the specific publication for help.

If you have specific Newsquest titles you re interested in, it might be worth going to their website to get up-to-date pricing or contact information.