Press Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette ( UKPG), is a British trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. First published in 1965, it had a circulation of about 2,500[Greenslade, Roy (6 April 2009). "Press Gazette magazine to close, says owner Wilmington". The Guardian.] before becoming online-only in 2013. Published with the strapline "Future of Media", it covers news about newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and the online press, dealing with launches, closures, moves, legislation and technological advances affecting journalists.
It is funded by subscriptions, recruitment and classified advertising, and display advertising. It is owned by Progressive Media Investments, which also owns the magazines New Statesman and Spear's.
History
Press Gazette was launched in November 1965 by
Colin Valdar, his wife Jill, and his brother Stewart. Upon the Valdars' retirement in 1983 the magazine was sold to
Timothy Benn, who sold it in 1990 to the Canadian publishing company
Maclean Hunter. The magazine was sold again in 1994, this time to
EMAP. Three years later the magazine was sold again, along with
MediaWeek and 12 other titles, to Quantum Business Media for £14.1 million.
[Greenslade, Roy (27 November 2006). "UK Press Gazette: 1965–2006". "Greenslade Blog". The Guardian.]
High-profile owners and closure
Rupert Murdoch's son-in-law
Matthew Freud became the new owner of
Press Gazette in May 2005, entering into partnership with former
Daily Mirror editor
Piers Morgan to raise around £600,000 to buy the title. The purchase was part of the break-up of Quantum Business Media by its owners, the venture-capital group ABN Amro Capital.
On 19 October 2006, Freud announced that the magazine was for sale, citing as a reason indifference in the newspaper industry to the British Press Awards. The company owned by Freud and Morgan, Press Gazette Limited, subsequently entered administrative receivership. Initially, the receivers were unable to find another buyer for the magazine, and on 24 November 2006 it closed.
Acquisition and relaunch
After the publication missed one issue,
Wilmington Group plc announced on 5 December 2006 it had acquired the title. Wilmington Media editorial director
Tony Loynes, a former
Press Gazette editor, led the take-over. He named news editor Dominic Ponsford as editor, and the magazine moved from
Fleet Street to Wilmington Media's
Old Street headquarters.
[ "Wilmington buys Press Gazette". . Press Gazette. December 8, 2006]
Both the magazine and its website PressGazette.co.uk underwent a redesign in May 2007, including a new masthead and body font. The magazine switched from weekly to monthly publication in August 2008.[Bowser, Jacquie (8 August 2008). " Press Gazette to abandon weekly edition". Brand Republic.]
On 6 April 2009, Wilmington Group announced the May 2009 issue would be the last,[ "Wilmington: 'Press Gazette to close'". . Press Gazette. April 6, 2009.] but the magazine was purchased on 22 April 2009 by Mike Danson of the Progressive Media Group, shortly after he attained full control of the New Statesman, in April 2009.[Greenslade, Roy (22 April 2009). "Press Gazette saved by new owner". "Greenslade Blog". The Guardian.] The Wilmington Group retained the British Press Awards.
Press Gazette went to a quarterly publication in June 2012. At the beginning of 2013 it ended print publication, keeping a weekly digital edition.
Magazine Design and Journalism Awards
Since about 1998, the
Press Gazette award the
Magazine Design and Journalism Awards in multiple categories. One source said "They are considered the only awards which celebrate design and journalism across all magazine sectors – consumer, B2B and customer."
Awards were presented in the following categories:
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Magazine Design Awards
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Young Designer of the Year
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Best Designed Feature Spread
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Best New Design/Redesign
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Best Designed Front Cover
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Best Use of Typography
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Best Use of Illustration
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Best Use of Photography
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Magazine Designer of the Year
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Best Designed Magazine of the Year
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Magazine Journalism Awards
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Exclusive of the Year
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Feature Writer of the Year
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Interviewer of the Year
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Columnist of the Year
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News Reporter of the Year
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Business Reporter of the Year
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Production Team of the Year
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Reviewer of the Year
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Digital Journalist of the Year
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Editor of the Year
See also
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Editor & Publisher – covering the American newspaper industry
External links
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Press Gazette website
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The British Press Awards website
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Piers Morgan's Official Website
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Julia Pearlman, "Press Gazette honours journalists with Hall of Fame exhibition", Brand Republic, 22 November 2005
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Roy Greenslade, "Big titles boycott 'Morgan's organ' press awards", The Telegraph, 24 January 2006
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Stephen Brook, "Single sponsor for Press Awards", The Guardian, 3 March 2006
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Digital Edition of Press Gazette
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Roy Greenslade, Press Gazette 1965-2006
