i (newspaper)

The i is a British newspaper published by Independent Print, owned by Alexander Lebedev, which also publishes The Independent. The newspaper, which is aimed at "readers and lapsed readers" of all ages and commuters with limited time, was launched on 26 October 2010 costing 20 pence.^[3][4][5]

In March 2014 it had an average daily circulation of 292,801,^[6] significantly more than The Independent but a drop of nearly 10,000 compared to the same month the previous year which was 302,757.^[7]

Starting on 7 May 2011 a Saturday edition was published, with more pages and at the price of 30p. This increased to 40p in January 2014, with the weekday edition rising to 30p. In 2015 the price was raised to 50p, with the weekday edition rising to 40p.^[8]

Format

The i is tabloid size and stapled, and the first issue contained 56 pages. The newspaper contains "matrices" for news, business and sports—small paragraphs of information which are expanded upon in full articles further on in the paper.^[4] The title also includes a features section titled iQ, and a television guide.^[4] The managing director of The Independent stated several days before the newspaper went into print that the publication is designed for people who do not have much time to read a newspaper.^[4] On 20 April 2011, editor Simon Kelner announced that a Saturday edition of The i would be published, starting from 7 May 2011 and costing 30 pence, 10 pence more than the weekday version. The paper is now running Monday to Saturday.^[9] The paper now runs a subscription, whereby customers can buy pre-paid vouchers to exchange for their copy of the paper. The subscription can be either six months or a year long and can be chosen Monday to Friday or including Saturday. There is also a discounted student subscription that lasts for one academic year.

Political stance

The i is the sister paper of The Independent and takes more or less the same political stance, as a liberal newspaper on the centre-left of the political spectrum. It could be argued that The i leans slightly more towards the left than its sister paper, with many front page headlines focusing on social issues and inequality. Just like The Independent, though, The i prides itself on its balance, publishing points of view from both left and right.

Columnists

As there is a large amount of content sharing the columnists also carry over. Janet Street-Porter has a column on Saturday with a left-wing message while Nigel Farage has an occasional column, often after major political events such as elections. One difference to its sister is the format. Unlike The Independent, The i has a photo of the columnist rather than a caricature. Also the columns may be shorter but this is not common.

History

A press statement released on the website of The Independent on 19 October 2010 announced the launch of The i. Also in October, Independent Print Limited launched an advertising campaign to promote the new publication. The first issue of The i went on sale on 26 October 2010, along with a new-look version of The Independent.^[4]

Editors

2010: Simon Kelner

2011: Stefano Hatfield

2013: Oliver Duff^[2]

References

External links

• Official website
• i on App Store