Evening News (London)
Encyclopedia
Evening News, formerly known as The Evening News, was an evening newspaper published in London
from 1881 to 1980, reappearing briefly in 1987. It became highly popular under the control of the Harmsworth brothers. For a long time it maintained the largest daily sale of any evening newspaper in London. After financial struggles and falling sales it was eventually merged with its long-time rival the Evening Standard
in 1980.
. The first issue appeared on July 26, 1881. It was the first popular evening paper in London
. It was priced at one halfpenny
, distinguishing itself from the more serious penny
papers such as The Times
. The first issues were printed on light blue paper and later editions on yellow and green paper.
The rivalry between halfpenny papers in the late 19th century was fierce and almost ended the Evening News. According to some sources the paper was losing £40,000 a year. In 1894 the brothers Alfred and Harold Harmsworth bought the paper for £25,000.
In 1888 Alfred had founded a paper caller Answers that was modelled after another popular paper called Tit-Bits. Harold gave up his clerk’s job to handle the business-side of the papers while Alfred effectively controlled the papers with great success. Later on Alfred became Lord Northcliffe and Harold became Lord Rothermere. The brothers started several papers of which the Daily Mail
became the most influential.
Under the editor Kennedy Jones
the Evening News was one of the papers that transformed the English press with their so called new journalism. This meant that the papers were aimed at a wider general public than the traditional ones, such as The Times
.
The circulation
numbers of English newspapers between 1850 and 1930s can only be guessed at. (The newspapers would not publish exact figures except in their advertising, which cannot be trusted.) Some authors have carefully estimated that in 1910 the circulation of the Evening News was 300,000. Among the halfpenny evening papers this would amount to a share of 35,7 percent. The estimate for the average circulation of July 1914 is approximately 600,000, which would make it the biggest evening paper in London
. 94 short stories by crime fiction writer Will Scott
were published between 1952 and 1964.
Northcliffe died in 1922. After that the control of the Associated Newspapers
, including the Daily Mail
, Evening News, Weekly Dispatch
and Overseas Daily Mail, was bought by his brother Harold. After 1936 Harold’s son Esmond took over as the chairman of Associated Newspapers
.
announced that the newspaper would be closed at the end of the month. The last issue was on October 31, 1980. The paper was merged with its long-time rival the Evening Standard
. For some time the resulting paper was called the New Standard. The name Evening News is still featured on the titlepiece of the Evening Standard.
The Evening News reappeared for few months in 1987 when it was launched by the Evening Standard's owners Associated Newspapers in order to counter Robert Maxwell
's London Daily News
; this sparked a price war, by the end of which the Evening News was being sold at 5p to the London Daily News 10p. Following the collapse of the London Daily News the Evening News was once again integrated into the Evening Standard.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1881 to 1980, reappearing briefly in 1987. It became highly popular under the control of the Harmsworth brothers. For a long time it maintained the largest daily sale of any evening newspaper in London. After financial struggles and falling sales it was eventually merged with its long-time rival the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
in 1980.
Early history
The paper was founded by Coleridge Kennard and Harry MarksHarry Marks
Harry Hananel Marks was a British politician and journalist, who founded the Financial News in 1884.-Early life:Harry Marks was born in London on 9 April 1855, a younger child of David Woolf Marks and his wife Cecilia...
. The first issue appeared on July 26, 1881. It was the first popular evening paper in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was priced at one halfpenny
British Halfpenny coin
The British halfpenny coin was worth 1/480th of a pound sterling. At first in its 700 year history it was made from silver but as the value of silver increased, the coin was made from base metals. It was finally abandoned in 1969 as part of the process of decimalising the British currency...
, distinguishing itself from the more serious penny
British One Penny coin (pre-decimal)
The English Penny, originally a coin of 1.3 to 1.5 g pure silver, includes the penny introduced around the year 785 by King Offa of Mercia. However, his coins were similar in size and weight to the continental deniers of the period, and to the Anglo-Saxon sceats which had gone before it, which were...
papers such as The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. The first issues were printed on light blue paper and later editions on yellow and green paper.
The rivalry between halfpenny papers in the late 19th century was fierce and almost ended the Evening News. According to some sources the paper was losing £40,000 a year. In 1894 the brothers Alfred and Harold Harmsworth bought the paper for £25,000.
In 1888 Alfred had founded a paper caller Answers that was modelled after another popular paper called Tit-Bits. Harold gave up his clerk’s job to handle the business-side of the papers while Alfred effectively controlled the papers with great success. Later on Alfred became Lord Northcliffe and Harold became Lord Rothermere. The brothers started several papers of which the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
became the most influential.
Under the editor Kennedy Jones
Kennedy Jones (journalist)
Kennedy Jones was a British journalist, editor, and newspaper manager.-Early years:Born in Glasgow, "K.J." was educated at a local high school before leaving at the age of sixteen to start a career in journalism...
the Evening News was one of the papers that transformed the English press with their so called new journalism. This meant that the papers were aimed at a wider general public than the traditional ones, such as The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
20th century
The Evening News became one of the leading papers in England under the control of Northcliffe. In 1900 evening newspapers were not considered to be good investments and most of the London newspapers were losing money. At the same time the Evening News was making profit of £50,000 a year.The circulation
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
numbers of English newspapers between 1850 and 1930s can only be guessed at. (The newspapers would not publish exact figures except in their advertising, which cannot be trusted.) Some authors have carefully estimated that in 1910 the circulation of the Evening News was 300,000. Among the halfpenny evening papers this would amount to a share of 35,7 percent. The estimate for the average circulation of July 1914 is approximately 600,000, which would make it the biggest evening paper in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. 94 short stories by crime fiction writer Will Scott
William Matthew Scott
William Matthew Scott , pen name Will Scott, was a British author of stories and books for adults and children, published from 1920 to 1965. Towards the end of his life he was best known for The Cherrys series, written for children and published between 1952 and 1965...
were published between 1952 and 1964.
Northcliffe died in 1922. After that the control of the Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers is a large national newspaper publisher in the UK, which is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The group was established in 1905 and is currently based at Northcliffe House in Kensington...
, including the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Evening News, Weekly Dispatch
Weekly Dispatch
Weekly Dispatch may refer to:* New York Weekly Dispatch* Weekly Dispatch , London, renamed to Sunday Dispatch in 1928* Richmond Weekly Dispatch, Richmond, VA* South Australian Weekly Dispatch, South Australia...
and Overseas Daily Mail, was bought by his brother Harold. After 1936 Harold’s son Esmond took over as the chairman of Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers is a large national newspaper publisher in the UK, which is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The group was established in 1905 and is currently based at Northcliffe House in Kensington...
.
Demise and reappearance
Although it had been the biggest evening paper in London over several decades, at the turn of the 1980s the Evening News was struggling with financial problems and falling sales. In October 1980 Associated NewspapersAssociated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers is a large national newspaper publisher in the UK, which is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The group was established in 1905 and is currently based at Northcliffe House in Kensington...
announced that the newspaper would be closed at the end of the month. The last issue was on October 31, 1980. The paper was merged with its long-time rival the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
. For some time the resulting paper was called the New Standard. The name Evening News is still featured on the titlepiece of the Evening Standard.
The Evening News reappeared for few months in 1987 when it was launched by the Evening Standard's owners Associated Newspapers in order to counter Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
's London Daily News
London Daily News
The London Daily News was a short-lived London newspaper owned by Robert Maxwell.-1987:The London Daily News was published from 24 February to 24 July 1987. It was intended to be a "24-hour" paper challenging the local dominance of the Evening Standard."For the city that never sleeps, the paper...
; this sparked a price war, by the end of which the Evening News was being sold at 5p to the London Daily News 10p. Following the collapse of the London Daily News the Evening News was once again integrated into the Evening Standard.
Editors
- 1881: Charles Williams
- 1883: Frank HarrisFrank HarrisFrank Harris was a Irish-born, naturalized-American author, editor, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day...
- 1887: I. Rubie
- 1889: W. R. Lawson
- 1889: J. H. Copleston
- 1894: Kennedy JonesKennedy Jones (journalist)Kennedy Jones was a British journalist, editor, and newspaper manager.-Early years:Born in Glasgow, "K.J." was educated at a local high school before leaving at the age of sixteen to start a career in journalism...
- 1896: Walter Evans
- 1922: Charles Beattie
- 1924: Frank Fitzhugh
- 1943: Guy SchofieldGuy SchofieldEdward Guy Schofield was a British newspaper editor.Born in Leeds, Schofield attended Leeds Modern School, then began his career in 1918 on the Leeds Mercury, before moving to the Daily Dispatch and the Evening Chronicle...
- 1950: J. Marshall
- 1954: Reg Willis
- 1967: John GoldJohn GoldJohn Gold is an American football punter for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at the University of Texas.-Professional career:...
- 1974: Louis KirbyLouis KirbyLouis Kirby was a British newspaper editor.Kirby was born in Liverpool and grew up in Coalbrookdale. His first job was as a reporter on the Wolverhampton Express and Star, then in 1949 he moved to Bermuda where he worked at The Royal Gazette. In 1951 he returned to Britain to work as a...
- 1987: Lori Miles
Sources
- Blake, R. (2004) Harmsworth, Esmond Cecil, second Viscount Rothermere (1898–1978). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- Engel, M. (1996) Tickle the Public : One hundred years of the popular press. Gollancz, London.
- Herd, H. (1952) The march of journalism : the story of the British press from 1622 to the present day. Allen & Unwin, London.
- Lee, A.J. (1976) The Origins of the Popular Press in England 1855–1914. Croom Helm, London.
- Morison, S. (1932) The English Newspaper : Some Account of the Physical Development of Journals Printed in London Between 1622 & the Present Day. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Pound, R. & Harmsworth, G. (1959) Northcliffe. Cassell, London.
External links
- Simms, R. (2006) The History of the Evening News