News Letter

The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland’s main daily newspapers. It is published from Monday to Saturday and is the world’s oldest English-language general daily newspaper still in print. It first began printing in September 1737, making it a very important part of history.

This newspaper has a special point of view and its readers share similar ideas, mainly supporting the unionist view. It competes with two other well-known papers: the Belfast Telegraph and The Irish News.

Over the years, the ownership of the News Letter has changed several times. Since the mid-1990s, it has been owned by National World. It used to be called the Belfast News Letter, but now it covers all of Northern Ireland, as well as Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Because of this wider coverage, the word Belfast is no longer on the newspaper’s name at the top of the page.

History

The News Letter started in 1737 in Belfast, making it the world’s oldest English-language daily newspaper still being published today. It was first printed in a narrow alley called Joy’s Entry. The paper was founded by Francis Joy, who came from a family of French Protestant heritage known as Huguenots. He began by using a small printing press to publish Belfast’s first newspaper.

Over time, the News Letter grew and changed. It started by publishing three times a week and became a daily paper in 1855. During a difficult time called The Troubles, its offices were damaged by an explosion, but the paper still managed to publish the next day. Today, the News Letter focuses on growing its readership through both print and online subscriptions. Old copies of the paper, dating back to 1828, can be found in digital form at the British Newspaper Archive and in the Belfast Newspaper Library.

Editors

Other publications

The News Letter includes a special section called Farming Life on Wednesdays and Saturdays, focusing on farming topics. On Saturdays, it also has a weekend supplement with interesting stories, opinions, and a TV guide. There is also a special section for celebrations on the Twelfth of July.

Besides its regular news coverage, the News Letter reported on a big issue called the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. A book about this scandal, titled Burned: The Inside Story of the 'Cash-for-Ash' Scandal and Northern Ireland's Secretive New Elite, was written by Sam McBride, one of its political reporters, and published in 2019.

Print circulation