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{{short description|Daily newspaper in Northern Ireland}}
{{About||the form of publication|Newsletter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name               = News Letter
| logo               =
| image              = Thebelfastnewsletter.PNG
| image_size         = 250px
| caption            = 
| type               = [[Daily newspaper]]
| format             = [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|Tabloid]]
| owners             = [[National World]]
| founder            = Francis Joy
| founded            = {{Start date and age|1737|09}}
| publisher          = 
| editor             = Ben Lowry
| political_position = [[British unionism]]<ref name="Politico">{{cite news |last=Geoghegan |first=Peter |title=Who are the Democratic Unionists and what do they want? |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/hung-parliament-who-are-the-democratic-unionists-and-what-do-they-want-uk-elections/ |quote=... Sam McBride, political editor of the unionist-leaning Belfast Newsletter. |work=Politico |date=9 June 2017 |access-date=10 June 2017}}</ref>
| language           = [[English language|English]]
| headquarters       = Suite 305 Glandore, Arthur House, 41 Arthur Street
| publishing_city    = [[Belfast, Northern Ireland]]
| circulation        = 5,858
| circulation_date   = 2024
| circulation_ref    = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/2197 |title=News Letter |publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)]] |date=20 February 2025 |access-date=1 July 2025}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|newsletter.co.uk}} 
}}

The '''''News Letter''''' is one of [[Northern Ireland]]'s main daily newspapers, published from Monday to Saturday. It is the world's oldest [[English-language]] general daily newspaper still in publication, having first been printed in September 1737.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Iain |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/must-read/three-centuries-of-news-letter-history-online-as-new-digital-archive-of-worlds-oldest-english-language-newspaper-launches-5150919 |title=Three centuries of News Letter history online as new digital archive of world's oldest English language newspaper launches |date=29 May 2025 |work=News Letter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/guides/s-irishnews/ |title=Research guide: Irish news & newspapers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809020149/http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/guides/s-irishnews/ |archive-date=9 August 2007 |publisher=[[Boston College]] |date=13 December 2004 |access-date=25 September 2006}}</ref><ref name="yourplace" /> The newspaper's editorial stance and readership, while originally [[Irish republicanism|republican]] at the time of its inception,<ref name="A Deeper Silence" />{{rp|134–164}} is now [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]].<ref name="Politico" /> Its primary competitors are the ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'' and ''[[The Irish News]]''.

The ''News Letter'' has changed hands several times since the mid-1990s, and is now owned by [[National World]]. It was formerly known as the '''''Belfast News Letter''''', but its coverage spans the whole of Northern Ireland (and often [[Great Britain]] and the [[Republic of Ireland]]), so the word ''[[Belfast]]'' does not appear on the masthead any more.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/n-ireland/news-letter/ |title=News Letter |website=British Newspapers Online |date=29 July 2013}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Francis Joy.jpg|thumb|right|Francis Joy]]
Founded in 1737, the ''News Letter'' was first printed in [[The Belfast Entries|Joy's Entry]] in Belfast. It is one of a series of narrow alleys in the city centre, and is currently home to Henry's Pub (formerly McCracken's) – named after Henry Joy McCracken, an Irish Presbyterian and a leading member in the north of Ireland of the republican Society of the [[United Irishmen]], and the grandson of the ''News Letter''{{'s}} founder.

The Joy family were of [[Huguenot]] descent and were very active in the life of 18th-century Belfast, being noted for compiling materials about its history. Francis Joy, who founded the paper, had come to Belfast early in the century from the County Antrim village of [[Killead]]. In Belfast, he married the daughter of the town [[Sovereign of Belfast|sovereign]] (mayor), and set up practice as an attorney.

In 1737, in settlement of a debt, he obtained a small printing press and used it to publish the town's first newspaper in Bridge Street. The family later bought a paper mill in [[Ballymena]], and were able to produce enough paper not only for their own publication but for the whole of [[Ulster]].<ref>{{cite book |last=McNeill |first=Mary |title=The Life and Times of Mary Ann McCracken, 1770–1866: A Belfast Panorama |publisher=[[Blackstaff Press]] |isbn=0-85640-403-9 |year=1988 |orig-year=1960}}</ref><ref name="A Deeper Silence">{{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Anthony Terence Quincey |title=A Deeper Silence: The Hidden Origins of the United Irishmen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rhRKAgAACAAJ |publisher=Blackstaff Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-85640-642-2}}</ref>

The earliest available edition of the ''News Letter'' that survives is from 3 October 1738 (which is equivalent to 14 October in the modern calendar).<ref name="280today">{{cite web |date=14 October 2018 |title=The earliest copy of the Belfast News Letter, the world's oldest daily newspaper, turns 280 today |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/people/earliest-copy-belfast-news-letter-worlds-oldest-daily-newspaper-turns-280-today-242792 |website=News Letter}}</ref>

Samples from that antiquated edition include reports about a highway robbery (where a bandit "took from a Sardinian Gentleman a Purse of Guineas and a rich Scimitar", among other things) at Newbury and the theft of a horse ("Four Years Old, and about Fourteen hands high") at Ballyhome.

Over the centuries, the ''News Letter''{{'s}} reports have spanned the rule of 77 different prime ministers and 10 monarchs.<ref name="280today" /> It is one of the few newspapers still in business which reported on the US Declaration of Independence (carrying the news in an edition in late August 1776).<ref name="yourplace">{{cite web |first=Ruth |last=Johnston |series=Your Place and Mine |date=16 October 2014 |title=Belfast News Letter |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/belfast/newsletter.shtml |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

Originally published three times weekly, it became daily in 1855. Before the [[partition of Ireland]], the ''News Letter'' was distributed island-wide.

=== The Troubles ===
{{See also|The Troubles}}
On 20 March 1972, the newspaper's offices, then in Donegall Street in the north of the city centre, [[Donegall Street bombing|were bombed by the IRA]]. The paper reported at the time that "two false alarms were phoned in about another bomb just around the corner in Church Street; people were evacuated – towards the real bomb".<ref name="newsletter1972bomb">{{cite web |date=21 March 2019 |title=The 1972 bomb outside News Letter that killed seven and injured 147 |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/1972-bomb-outside-news-letter-killed-seven-and-injured-147-993982 |website=News Letter}}</ref>

It detonated at 11.58&nbsp;am, three minutes after an accurate warning had been given about the bomb's whereabouts. Seven people died, and over 140 were injured (with some staff among the wounded). Nevertheless, the paper came out the next day.<ref name="newsletter1972bomb" /><ref>{{cite web |date=1994 |title=Sutton Index of Deaths |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/sutton/chron/1972.html |website=[[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] |publisher=[[Ulster University]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Chronology of the Conflict – 1972 |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch72.htm |website=Conflict Archive on the Internet |publisher=Ulster University}}</ref>

One of the recurring motifs of the ''News Letter''{{'s}} editorial line today is to remind people of the scale of the paramilitary bloodshed during the Troubles, with the vast bulk of crimes being unsolved.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 January 2017 |title=IRA must face the scrutiny that Sinn Fein demands of others |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/ira-must-face-scrutiny-sinn-fein-demands-others-1166238 |website=News Letter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McGrattan |first=Cillian |title=Legacy Scandal: 'We're on verge of fostering a pro terrorist, anti state view of the Troubles', says academic |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/legacy-scandal-were-verge-fostering-pro-terrorist-anti-state-view-troubles-says-academic-577070 |website=News Letter |date=22 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=13 June 2020 |first=Ben |last=Lowry |title=Ben Lowry: The far-reaching scale of the scandal on legacy still seems not to be properly understood |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/ben-lowry-far-reaching-scale-scandal-legacy-still-seems-not-be-properly-understood-2883705 |website=News Letter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=23 September 2018 |title=Legacy Scandal: 'We are sleep walking into a Province governed by apologists for terror', says sister of Edgar Graham |first=Anne |last=Graham |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/legacy-scandal-we-are-sleep-walking-province-governed-apologists-terror-says-sister-edgar-graham-573790 |website=News Letter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 August 2018 |title=Mum speaks out over LVF murder of her only son – 20 years after campaign declared over|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/mum-speaks-out-over-lvf-murder-her-only-son-20-years-after-campaign-declared-over-829812 |website=News Letter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=20 May 2018 |title=Police family speaks out for first time 35 years after IRA murdered their brother and three other young officers |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/police-family-speaks-out-first-time-35-years-after-ira-murdered-their-brother-and-three-other-young-officers-2858257 |website=News Letter |first=Adam |last=Kula}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=6 June 2020 |title='Thousands of Northern Irish people were murdered and their crimes are unsolved – their lives matter too' |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/thousands-northern-irish-people-were-murdered-and-their-crimes-are-unsolved-their-lives-matter-too-2876771 |website=News Letter |first=Adam |last=Kula}}</ref>

=== Today ===
In recent years, the paper's business model has focussed on increasing subscriptions (home delivery and collection for the print edition, mobile devices/laptops for the digital one). A paywall structure is in operation online, allowing people to read five articles per week without subscribing (though some content is purposely kept behind the paywall). In the second half of 2016 the ''News Letter'' was the fastest-growing regional news site in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |date=2017 |title=The Drum Awards: Online Media |url=https://www.onlinemediaawards.net/online-media-awards-2017/best-localregional-news-site/news-letter |website=onlinemediaawards.net}}</ref>

Historical copies of the ''News Letter'', dating back to 1828, are available to search and view in digitised form at the [[British Newspaper Archive]].<ref name="BNA">{{cite web |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?newspaperTitle=Belfast+News-Letter |title=Results: Belfast News-Letter |website=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |publisher=Findmypast Newspaper Archive}}</ref> There are also historic copies of the ''News Letter'' available for public access in the Belfast Newspaper Library, at the north end of the city centre, attached to the main Belfast Central Library.<ref>{{cite web |title=Newspaper Library, Belfast Central Library |url=https://www.librariesni.org.uk/resources/cultural-heritage/cultural-heritage-collections/belfast-central-library/newspaper-library-belfast-central-library/ |website=Libraries NI}}</ref>  Back copies of the physical newspaper can be bought, going back three months.

== Editors ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Editor !! Tenure !! Notes !! Sources
|-
| Francis Joy || 1737 – c.1760s || Founder and first editor || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Henry Joy I || mid-18th century || Member of founding Joy family || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Robert Joy || mid-18th century || Member of founding Joy family || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Henry Joy II || late 18th century || Member of founding Joy family || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Alexander MacKay || 1796 – early 19th century || Took over the business and editorship in 1796 || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| James Stuart || 1821 – 1820s || Historian; first independent editor || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| James McKnight || 1820s–1830s || Political writer and tenant-right advocate || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Robert Mooney || mid-19th century || Graduate of Trinity College Dublin || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Sir Frederick Falkiner || mid-19th century || Later senior court official in Dublin || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| W. H. Kisbey || mid-19th century || Later county court judge in Louth || <ref>Belfast Telegraph, "Just 23 editors since 1737", 15 March 2004.</ref>
|-
| Richard Lilburn || 1867 – 1898 || Retired in 1898 || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| W. G. Anderson || 1898 – 1928 || Succeeded Lilburn || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| William McKee || 1928 || Very short tenure before replacement || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| Robert Hamilton || 1928 – mid-20th century || Former London editor of the newspaper || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| Cowan Watson || 1965 – 1976 || Stood down for health reasons || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| Ken Withers || 1976 – 1978 || Left after internal dispute || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| John Trew || 1978 – 1983 || Stood down on health grounds || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| Sam Butler || 1983 – 1990 || Former UUP press officer; left to join ''Today'' newspaper || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| Geoff Martin || 1990 – 2002 || Later returned to English weekly newspapers || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref><ref>Irish Times, "News Letter editor to leave", 29 August 2002.</ref>
|-
| Nigel Wareing || 2002 – 2004 || Former editor-in-chief of Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers || <ref>Belfast Telegraph archive extract, 2024.</ref>
|-
| Austin Hunter || 2004 – 2006 || Former PSNI communications director || <ref>The Guardian, "Hunter named News Letter editor", 27 February 2004.</ref><ref>The Guardian, "News Letter editor quits", 11 April 2006.</ref>
|-
| Darwin Templeton || 2006 – 2011 || Later joined UTV || <ref>The Guardian, "Templeton appointed News Letter editor", 27 July 2006.</ref><ref>Slugger O’Toole, "Rankin Armstrong takes over at the News Letter", 27 September 2012.</ref>
|-
| Rankin Armstrong || 2012 – 2015 || Retired in 2015 || <ref>Slugger O’Toole, "Rankin Armstrong takes over at the News Letter", 27 September 2012.</ref>
|-
| Alistair (Alister) Bushe || 2015 – 2021 || Later joined Reach plc || <ref>Irish News, "Bushe appointed News Letter editor", 21 November 2015.</ref><ref>HoldTheFrontPage, "Bushe leaves News Letter for Reach role", 2021.</ref>
|-
| Ben Lowry || 2021 – present || Former deputy editor || <ref>HoldTheFrontPage, "Lowry appointed News Letter editor", October 2021.</ref><ref>The Guardian, "British Newspaper Archive expands to include News Letter", 2025.</ref>
|}

== Other publications ==
The paper publishes the agricultural supplement '''''Farming Life''''' on Wednesdays and Saturdays, included within the newspaper itself. It publishes a weekend supplement on Saturdays, containing features and commentary and TV guide. It also publishes a supplement for the Twelfth of July celebrations.

In addition to the ''News Letter''{{'s}} coverage of the [[Renewable Heat Incentive scandal]]  from 2016 to the present, a book entitled ''Burned: The Inside Story of the 'Cash-for-Ash' Scandal and Northern Ireland's Secretive New Elite'', by its (now former) political correspondent Sam McBride (a frequent media commentator on Northern Irish affairs), was published in 2019 by Merrion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Carroll |first=Rory |title=Burned by Sam McBride review – the inside story of the 'cash for ash' scandal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/13/burned-cash-for-ash-scandal-sam-mcbride |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=13 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McKay |first=Susan |title=Burned: The story behind the North's 'cash-for-ash' scandal |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/burned-the-story-behind-the-north-s-cash-for-ash-scandal-1.4042704 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=19 October 2019}}</ref>

== Print circulation ==
{{Bar chart
| title = 
| table_width = 35
| label_type = Year (period)
| data_type  = Average circulation per issue
| data1 = 28,616 | label1 = 2005 (July to December)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/senior-editors-leave-johnston-amid-irish-job-cut-fears/ |first=Sarah |last=Lagan |title=Senior editors leave Johnston amid Irish job cut fears |date=13 April 2006 |website=Press Gazette}}</ref>
| data2 = 26,803 | label2 = 2007 (January to June)<ref name="irishtimescirculation">{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/circulation-of-irish-times-increases-1.933379 |title=Circulation of 'Irish Times' increases |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=22 August 2008}}</ref>
| data3 = 26,199 | label3 = 2008 (January to June)<ref name="irishtimescirculation" />
| data4 = 23,492 | label4 = 2011 (January to June)<ref name="circ">{{cite news |url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2011/news/norwich-daily-tops-regional-circulation-league |title=ABC figures: How the regional dailies performed |work=HoldTheFrontPage |first=Paul |last=Linford |access-date=25 September 2011 |date=31 August 2011}}</ref>
| data5 = 19,550 | label5 = 2013 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/feb/21/newspapers-ireland |title=Ireland's newspapers lose print sales, but national titles hold up well |date=21 February 2014 |website=The Guardian |first=Roy |last=Greenslade}}</ref>
| data6 = 15,475 | label6 = 2016 (January to June)<ref name="irishnewscirculation">{{cite web |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/2017/08/18/news/irish-news-reports-increase-in-circulation-in-first-half-of-2017-1114067/ |work=The Irish News |first=Gareth |last=McKeown |date=18 August 2017 |title=Irish News reports increase in circulation in first half of 2017}}</ref>
| data7 = 14,900 | label7 = 2017 (January to June)<ref name="irishnewscirculation" />
| data8 = 13,374 | label8 = 2018 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49054185.pdf |publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] |date=23 August 2018 |title=News Letter: January to June 2018}}</ref>
| data9 = 12,499 | label9 = 2018 (July to December)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49250624.pdf |publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] |date=21 February 2019 |title=News Letter: July to December 2018}}</ref>
| data10 = 11,829 | label10 = 2019 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49501742.pdf |publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] |date=15 August 2019 |title=News Letter: January to June 2019}}</ref>
| data11 = 11,076 | label11 = 2019 (July to December)<ref name="abch22019">{{cite web |title=News Letter: July to December 2019 |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49621323.pdf |publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] |date=6 February 2020}}</ref>
| data12 = 9,505 | label12 = 2021 (January to June)<ref name="abch22021-2">{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/50249404.pdf |publisher=[[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] |date=11 August 2021 |title=News Letter: January to June 2021}}</ref>
| data13 = 8,958 | label13 = 2021 (July to December)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/regional-abcs-daily-newspapers-see-average-circulations-decline-10-year-on-year/ |title=Local newspaper sales UK: Latest circulation figures from ABC |date=23 February 2022}}</ref>
}}

== See also ==
* [[:Category:Belfast News Letter people]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.newsletter.co.uk/ ''News Letter'' online]

{{Johnston Press}}
{{Northern Ireland newspapers}}
{{Ireland newspapers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:News Letter, The}}
[[Category:1737 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:Publications established in 1737]]
[[Category:Mass media in Belfast]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Johnston Publishing (NI)]]
[[Category:Newspapers published by Johnston Press]]