Daily Mail
A British conservative tabloid founded in 1896.
The Daily Mail, commonly called the Mail, is a British conservative newspaper that sits in the middle-market tabloid category. It was first published in London in 1896. Its sibling publication, The Mail on Sunday, began in 1982, while a Scottish edition started in 1947 and an Irish edition in 2006. The paper’s content also appears on MailOnline, though that website operates independently with its own editor. Ownership lies with the Daily Mail and General Trust, where Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere—a great-grandson of one of the original co-founders—serves as chairman and controlling shareholder. Day-to-day editorial decisions are typically made by a team led by the editor, a role held by Ted Verity since November 2021, when he replaced Geordie Greig. According to a 2014 survey, the average reader was 58 years old, and the paper had the smallest share of readers aged 15 to 44 among major British dailies. Unusually for a British daily, women form the majority of its readership, accounting for 52 to 55 percent. In February 2020, its average daily circulation stood at 1.13 million copies. Between April 2019 and March 2020, it averaged about 2.18 million daily readers, with roughly 1.41 million in the ABC1 demographic and 0.77 million in the C2DE demographic. Its website attracted over 218 million unique visitors per month in 2020. The Daily Mail has received multiple awards, including the National Newspaper of the Year prize from The Press Awards nine times since 1994, and the Society of Editors named it Daily Newspaper of the Year for 2020. It has faced criticism for unreliability, publishing sensationalist and inaccurate scare stories about science and medical research, and instances of plagiarism and copyright infringement. In February 2017, the English Wikipedia banned the Daily Mail as a reliable source.
- founded
- 1896
- founders
- Alfred Harmsworth (later Viscount Northcliffe) and Harold Harmsworth (later Visc
- owner
- Daily Mail and General Trust
- chairman
- Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere
- editor_as_of_2021
- Ted Verity
- political_alignment
- Conservative
- format
- Compact (tabloid-size) since 3 May 1971
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The Daily Mail was first published on 4 May 1896, devised by Alfred Harmsworth (later Viscount Northcliffe) and his brother Harold (later Viscount Rothermere). It cost a halfpenny when other London dailies cost one penny, and was more populist in tone and concise in coverage. The first day's print run was 397,215 copies, rising to 500,000 by 1899 and over a million by 1902, making it the largest in the world. Lord Salisbury dismissed it as 'a newspaper produced by office boys for office boys.' The Mail adopted an imperialist political stance, taking a patriotic line in the Second Boer War. It was the first national newspaper to print simultaneously in Manchester and London, starting in 1900. In 1906, the paper offered £10,000 for the first flight from London to Manchester, followed by £1,000 for the first flight across the English Channel—both prizes were won by 1910. During World War I, Northcliffe's call for conscription and criticism of Lord Kitchener led to circulation dropping from 1,386,000 to 238,000, and 1,500 members of the London Stock Exchange burned unsold copies. The paper switched from broadsheet to compact format on 3 May 1971, the 75th anniversary of its founding, and absorbed the Daily Sketch on the same date.
Reader's Guide
The Daily Mail has won the National Newspaper of the Year award from The Press Awards nine times since 1994 (as of 2020), and the Society of Editors selected it as 'Daily Newspaper of the Year' for 2020. However, it has been criticised for unreliability, printing sensationalist and inaccurate scare stories about science and medical research, and for instances of plagiarism and copyright infringement. In February 2017, the English Wikipedia banned the use of the Daily Mail as a reliable source. Circulation figures from February 2020 show gross daily sales of 1,134,184. A December 2004 survey found 53% of Daily Mail readers voted Conservative, 21% Labour, and 17% Liberal Democrats. The paper's editor is free to decide editorial policy, including political allegiance, as stated by Viscount Rothermere before a House of Lords select committee. In November 2021, Ted Verity began a new seven-day role as editor of Mail newspapers, with responsibility for the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, and You magazine. The paper's publisher, Daily Mail and General Trust, is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Did You Know?
- The Daily Mail was the first national newspaper to print simultaneously in Manchester and London, starting in 1900.
- In 1906, the paper offered £10,000 for the first flight from London to Manchester and £1,000 for the first flight across the English Channel—both prizes were won by 1910.
- A 2014 survey found the average age of Daily Mail readers was 58, and women make up the majority (52–55%) of its readership, unique among British daily newspapers.
- In February 2017, the English Wikipedia banned the use of the Daily Mail as a reliable source.
- The Daily Mail has won the National Newspaper of the Year award from The Press Awards nine times since 1994 (as of 2020).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Daily Mail?
The Daily Mail is a British middle-market tabloid newspaper published in London since 1896. It was established by the Harmsworth brothers, Alfred and Harold, and has maintained a populist, conservative editorial voice throughout its entire run.
What are Daily Mail's powers or role?
As one of the UK's most widely read dailies, the Mail wields considerable influence over public opinion and political discourse. Its broad, populist tone gives it a platform that can shape national conversations on social and political issues.
How does Daily Mail's story end?
The Daily Mail has no definitive ending, since it remains an actively published newspaper under the ownership of Daily Mail and General Trust. Its ongoing narrative continues to evolve with each new editorial cycle and leadership change.
Why is Daily Mail important?
The Mail holds a unique position in British journalism as the only major daily with a predominantly female readership. Its long-standing conservative stance and populist approach have made it a defining voice in the country's media landscape for well over a century.
Who founded Daily Mail and who leads it now?
The Harmsworth brothers launched the paper in 1896, and their family legacy persists through the Rothermere line. As of 2021, Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as chairman, while Ted Verity holds the editorship.
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