Over the course of the 20th century newspapers grew to be a vital medium for news, information and entertainment. They also became a key tool for advertisers to reach large and specifically targeted audiences. In the 21st century competition has forced newspaper businesses to adapt their offers online. A new paper drawn from resources in AMSR traces their evolution.
The full paper How Have Audiences for Newspapers Changed Over Time? will be available both in the Archive and as an in-Depth essay here – link to follow.
As a taster, we are publishing four short excerpts, of which this is the first…
Mid-century – the 1950s and 1960s
The key trends:
- The mid-20th century was the peak period for newspaper audiences
- In the early 1950s around 85% of the population read a newspaper each day
- Newspapers were highly influential and an important means of disseminating news, influencing political opinion and reaching audiences for advertising
- The Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Times led the quality press and continued to grow
- TV emerged as a serious competitor. Newspapers were forced to adapt
Newspapers peaked in the mid-20th century, when reading them was a dominant, mass market cultural activity. At the same time the British population was growing, which added to the numbers of readers.
In the early 1950s, Britain was a “nation of readers,” with around 85% of the adult population reading a newspaper each day. Circulations were at their peak, driven by a high demand for news and advertising. Newspapers were a central source of information and a highly profitable industry, attracting significant investment.
They had wide influence. Newspapers were especially important to British culture and the media landscape, being more widely read than in any other country. They were the main means of finding information about the world, politics and public life.
By 1956 national readership research was well-established: the Hulton Readership Survey measured all national newspapers. Data from the survey shows how extensively newspapers touched the population with almost 9 in 10 adults reading a morning title and 92% reading any Sunday newspaper.
Social class was a familiar concept in the early 20th century and we can see clear differences in the audience to titles. The Times, although only typically read by about 3% of households, was clearly focused on the ‘middle classes’ with more buying power and influence. In contrast the Daily Herald strongly appealed to the working class. The Herald began publishing in 1911, initially as a daily strike bulletin in support of the printers’ union, the London Society of Compositors. Throughout its history it had links to the Labour movement and unions. In 1964 it ceased publication and later relaunched as The Sun.
Source: Press Circulations Analysed (1928) – The London Research Bureau
Adaptation was practised in very different ways by the popular newspapers – by moving downmarket and providing content that TV did not. More scandal, more sex, more crime and celebrity coverage that TV wasn’t covering at the time.
Taking the example of the Daily Mail. A mid-market, highly successful title it enjoyed consistent growth which peaked in the early 1960s. After this point, competition from TV and changes in lifestyle would lead to a decline in its circulation.
Look out for parts 1, 3 and 4 in this series, and also for the full paper, coming soon to our In-Depth Essays page. In addition you may like to browse related detail in our Media Studies A-Level page.
Author: Liz McMahon
Date posted: November 2026
Photo: Tomas Vynikal/Shutterstock