The guardian

• founded in 1821, the guardian is a British daily newspapers with a liberal tradition. It aims to deliver “fearless, investigative journalism“ and “quality, trustworthy reporting“ which is free from “politcal and commercial influence“
• according to 2021 data from PAMCo the guardian had a 3.2m monthly print and an 18.4m monthly digital readership. these figures compare very positively to other quality dailies in the UK. paper reached 113m unique browsers around the world each month on average
• more males read the paper each month: 10.2m males compared to 9.4m females across the different platforms. 13.3m of its readers were over 35 years old compared to 6.5m under 35. this strong engagement from younger, progressive readers would be very enticing to advertisers and brand partners who are eager to target that demographic
• in terms of income, the paper appeals to all social grades. 6.9m readers are classified as AB- higher and intermediate positions and professional occupations. 5.9m of the guardian readers have skilled manual and unskilled occupations or would be considered unemployed by the model. they consider themselves to be the “main shopper” regardless of thier income bracket. this spending power will also appeal to advertisers
• 40% of the guardians UK readers had university degrees
• the “guardian reader“ is often used to describe a left wing and liberal point of view. this political ideology promotes individual rights but also demands government intervention into important social and cultural issues, such as poverty, education, climate change and welfare. the guardian targets this modern and progressive audience by drawing attention to social injustice and “championing the voices of those less heard“.
• the paper is proud of its covid 19 investigations which exposed governmental and social failings. they are also “passionate about the climate change emergency” and “remain dedicated to truth and to bring about a more helpful future“
• the guardian readers hold “progressive views“ and are “motivated by new ideas and innovation“ and have a strong desire to drive change. perhaps these shared values are the reason why OfCom research found the paper was the “most trusted news brand in the UK”
• the typical guardian reader could be labelled as and activator from SBI’s list of uk consumer groups because they are at the “forefront of innovation“ and are “most open to new ideas“. they might also define themselves as achievers who focus on “professionals endeavour“. the most obvious personality type from young and rubicams cross cultural consumer categorisation (4C’s) would be reformer- some who is “at the leading edge of society“ with a core need of “enlightenment“
• Media companies research the demographic psychometric profile of their consumers to ensure their content matches their needs and values
• newspaper is compered to be part of the “quality press“- a group of national papers which focuses on hard news rather than the sensationalism of tabloid journalism. its ”original reporting and incisive analysis“ often promotes the ideologies of the mainstream left of British politics. e.g. it strong endorsed Tony Blair’s bid to become leader of the labour party in 1994 because he was willing to confront real problmes with his progressive and practical agenda
• the paper declared is support for the Liberal Democrat’s in 2010 general election and their desire for electoral reform. it then switched back to the Labour Party for the 2015 election. that endorsement continued for the elections in 2017 and 2019 hen Jeremy Corbin was leader of the party
• the guardian also endorsed remaining in the EU throughout the divisive brexit referendum. when the free trade agreement provisionally came into effect in feb 2022, the front page recognised parts of the nation had a “lump in its throat“ and there was a “national bereavement“ while others celebrated with ‘a raised middle finger of defiant good riddance“
• front page Feb 2020- the glum looking British bulldog encoded the newspapers sense of regret. this preferred reading (hall) was anchored by the caption “missing you already‘ which made the relationship with the eu seen personal and friendly. the newspapers stance was echoed by its readers.
• guardians liberal perspective appeals to its progressive consumers- it’s target audience
• uses and gratifications- the guardian satisfies our desire to be informed beacuse its mission is to “provide facts that help readers understand the world“. it has sections on politics, sport and culture. the lifestyle section might also appeal to our personal identity by offering reports on fashion, health and wellbeing and travel. the values encoded in the articles and investigations can reinforce our own attitudes and behaviours
• the content can become topics of conversation between friends, family and colleagues
• the comment section after each article offers readers a chance to voice their own opinions and contribute to the debate. this user generated contented and social interaction is an exmaple of personal relationships (uses and gratifications). readers can also develop a sense of companionship with the columnists
• the daily crosswords may even provide an emotional release form out mundane routines
• guardian has a unique ownership structure for a global media company. it’s operated by the guardian media group (GMG) a British based mass media company which also own the observer and a portfolio of other investments. its parent company is scott trust limited
• scott trust limited was originally created in 1936 to ‘secure the financial and editorial independence of thre guardian“ and to “safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values“ of the paper from “commercial or political interference“. a trust is a legal arrangement to manage and protect the assets belonging to a person or family. john Russell Scott established the trust avoid paying death duties which may have forced the newspaper to close. the trust was dissolved in 1948 and immediately reformed to avoid more death taxes
• 2008- the non charitable trust was replaced by the limited company to respond effectively in the rapid changing media landscape. the new company’s constitution was “carefully drafted to ensure no individual can ever personally benefit“ from dividends so the paper could remind faithful to its liberal roots
• To maintain its editorial independence and remain free from commercial bias and the interference of shareholders, the guardian relies on revenue from its global readership, including the 1.5 million readers who supported the paper financially in 2020. E.g. you can take out a digital subscription for an annual or monthly fee which gives you ad-free access to their content online and through their dedicated apps
• readers can also become a patron by contributing between £1200 to £5000 per year. these donations entitle you to complimentary tickets to live events and special occasions. you might even have the opportunity to experience the world of journalism by attending a morning editorial conference with the editor-in-chief
• Advertising revenue remains an important part of the business model. e.g. A double page spread in the guardian costs £32,400. The company claims it’s “more effective at building brands online” compared to its competitors because it can place ads “at the heart of culture in front of people that are paying attention“. A billboard at the top screen or a mid-page unit (MPU) would cost an advertising agency £46,000 per day. These 2 types of display ads have high engagement rates
• some advertising is handled by google which places banners at the top of the page, skyscraper formats in the sidebar and some displays in the articles. The products on offer will depend on your own preferences, Cookie history and geography. Both the click through rate and amount of money the paper receives from each campaign Will vary enormously
• the guardian partners with companies to create commercial content from their brands. most publications include advertorials, but the guardian labs offers more detailed campaigns
• any profit from sources of revenue is reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to shareholders. that’s one of the papers unique selling points
• the dramatic fall in sales in the newspaper industry has been well documented
• the guardian was losing £100,000 per day in 2012. to underwrite the newspapers substantial losses, Scott trust sold 49.9% of its stake in auto trader to a venture capital firm in 2007 and then remaining 50.1% to the same company in 2014. the company also sold its regional media output, including the manchester evening news, to a competitor in 2010 and its GMG radio subsidiary in 2012
• publishers continue to face an uncertain future. however, in 2020 and 2021 financial year, GMG increased their revenue by 0.9% to £225.5m with a record growth in digital reader revenues. the total values of the scott trust endowment fund and other cash holdings also increased to £1,148.5m from £954m the previous year
• the interim chief executive of GMC believed they had delivered a strong set of results, saying “this performance is testament to the dedication and expertise of our staff, and our strong and trusted relationship with readers“
• despite challenges, the guardians business model still seems to be working. it can turn a profit while ensuring its journalism remains global, free and accessible for all its readers
• What is the average daily circulation of The Guardian's print edition in the UK?

  134,000 copies
• Who is the target audience of The Guardian?

  Well-educated, relatively young and liberal
• What percentage of The Guardian's readers are male?

  52%
• What was the average reader age of The Guardian as mentioned?

  44 years
• How many readers does The Guardian's UK online edition have as of October 2014?

  42.6 million readers
• What significant change did The Guardian undergo in 2006?

  Complete redesign with a smaller format
• Why did The Guardian redesign its format in 2006?

  To adapt to market changes and reading habits