View source for Derry Journal Newspapers

{{Short description|Irish newspaper}}
{{Coord|55.01212|-7.3183|display=title|region:GB_scale:5000}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=March 2020}}
'''Derry Journal Newspapers''' (formerly '''Local Press Ltd''') is owned by [[JPIMedia]]. Derry Journal Newspapers owns 4 local newspapers in [[Northern Ireland]]. The 4 titles are the ''[[Derry Journal]]'', the ''[[Sunday Journal]]'', ''City News'' (free title) and ''Foyle News'' (free title). The company is based on the corner of Pennyburn Pass and Duncreggan Road, [[Derry]].

==History==
In 1772, ''[[Derry Journal]]'' was launched and remained the sole title until the 1990s.

In the 1990s, the ''Derry Journal'' began to expand its stable of papers with the launch of the freesheet ''Journal Extra '' in 1992 (''City News'' from February 2001) and in 1995 acquired the ''[[Donegal People’s Press]]'' and the ''[[Donegal Democrat]]'', the biggest paper in neighbouring County Donegal.

In 1998, the group was purchased by Mirror Group Newspapers (which became ''[[Trinity Mirror]]'' a year later) from the McCarroll family who had owned the paper since 1925, for £18.25 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/06/29/story934349508.asp |title=Sunday Business Post Archives |access-date=2008-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041229230957/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/06/29/story934349508.asp |archive-date=2004-12-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October 2000, a second freesheet was launched in [[Letterkenny]], County Donegal called the ''[[Letterkenny Listener]]'' (renamed ''[[Letterkenny People]]'' in September 2005) and a third was launched in May 2001 called ''Foyle News ''. In 2004, several new papers were launched, with  the ''[[Sunday Journal]] incorporating [[Donegal on Sunday]]''  and as well as Monday edition of the ''Journal'' called ''Derry on Monday''. The papers has different levels of success, the Sunday publication was and continues to be the only local paper published on a Sunday; however ''Derry on Monday'' was axed just two years later due to poor circulation figures and was replaced by an expanded ''City News''.

In January 2004, Local Press Ltd, a holding company of investment firm [[3i]] purchased the Derry Journal Group as well as the ''[[News Letter]]'', a leading Northern Irish daily, from ''[[Trinity Mirror]]''.

In November 2005, Local Press was then purchased by [[Johston Press]] for a reported £65m.<ref>[http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/Documents/Facts&figures/acquisitions.html Newspaper Society Database of Mergers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806021519/http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/Documents/Facts%26figures/acquisitions.html |date=2009-08-06 }}</ref>

In 2014, Johnson Press{{'}}s Republic of Ireland titles were sold to [[Iconic Newspapers]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Johnston Press sells its 14 titles in the Republic | work = The Irish Times | access-date = 2014-08-22 | url = http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/media-and-marketing/johnston-press-sells-its-14-titles-in-the-republic-1.1745888 }}</ref>

In November 2018, [[Johnston Press]] went into administration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/administration-for-i-and-scotsman-owner-johnston-press-11556210|title = Administration for i and Scotsman owner Johnston Press}}</ref> [[JPIMedia]] purchased the group.

In addition to Derry Journal Newspapers, [[JPIMedia]] own several other local titles across Northern Ireland through the holding company [[Johnston Publishing (NI)]].

==Current titles==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Launched
! Type
|-
| ''[[Derry Journal]]'' (Tuesday)
| 1772 (Tuesday edition restarted in 1958)
| [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|Tabloid]]
|-
| ''[[Derry Journal]]'' (Friday)
| 1772
| Tabloid
|-
| ''[[Sunday Journal]]''
| 2004
| Tabloid
|-
| ''[[Foyle News]]''
| 2001 (previously a freesheet)
| Tabloid
|-
| ''[[City News (Ireland)|City News]]'' (Thursday)
| 2001 (previously Journal Extra, launched in 1992)
| [[Freesheet]]
|-
|}

The titles are no longer audited by the ABC for circulation.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.abc.org.uk/product?search=Derry+Journal| title = Data - ABC {{!}} Audit Bureau of Circulations}} </ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.derryjournal.com/ ''Derry Journal'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120223834/http://www.johnstonpress.co.uk/ Johnston Press]

{{Johnston Press}}
{{Northern Ireland newspapers}}
{{Newspapers in the Republic of Ireland}}
{{Media in County Donegal}}

[[Category:Derry Journal Newspapers| ]]
[[Category:Newspapers published by Johnston Press]]
[[Category:Mass media in County Donegal]]
[[Category:Mass media in Derry (city)]]