News of the World facts for kids
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| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | News Group Newspapers (News International) |
| Founded | 1 October 1843 |
| Political alignment | Conservative |
| Ceased publication | 10 July 2011 |
| Headquarters | Wapping, London |
| Circulation | 2,606,397 (April 2011) |
| Sister newspapers | The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times |
The News of the World was a popular tabloid newspaper in the United Kingdom. It was printed every Sunday for 168 years. When it stopped printing in 2011, it was one of the most widely read English newspapers.
It began as a larger "broadsheet" newspaper in 1843. Later, it became a smaller "tabloid" size. The newspaper was owned by News International, which was part of News Corporation. It was also a sister newspaper to The Sun.
In 2006, it was reported that the newspaper had been getting news by hacking people's phones. Because of this, the News of the World closed down on 7 July 2011. Many people who worked for the newspaper were arrested. A new Sunday newspaper, The Sun on Sunday, started in its place in 2012. Some former News of the World staff worked there.
Contents
History of the Newspaper
The News of the World first came out on 1 October 1843. It was started by John Browne Bell in London. It cost three pence, which was very cheap for a newspaper at that time. This made it easy for working-class people who had just learned to read to buy it.
Soon, the News of the World became the most popular Sunday newspaper. It sold about 12,000 copies each week.
Growing Success and New Owners
In 1891, the Bell family sold the newspaper to Henry Lascelles Carr. He also owned a Welsh newspaper called the Western Mail. His nephew, Emsley Carr, became the editor and stayed in that job for 50 years. George Riddell helped the newspaper become very successful by improving how it was delivered across the country.
By 1912, the newspaper was selling two million copies. This number grew to about three million in the early 1920s. By 1939, sales reached four million copies. The success of the News of the World encouraged other newspapers to start. Some of these, like The Sunday People and the Daily Mail, are still printed today.
The newspaper's slogan was "All human life is there." The News of the World also supported many sports events. These included golf, darts, and snooker tournaments. The Emsley Carr Mile race in athletics was started in 1953. It was named after the former editor and is still run every year. The newspaper also published a popular Football Annual for many years.
By 1950, the News of the World was the biggest-selling newspaper in the world. It sold 8,441,000 copies each week. Some special editions sold over 9 million copies.
If Christmas Day was on a Sunday, the News of the World would be printed on Saturday instead.
In 1969, Rupert Murdoch's company, News Ltd., bought the newspaper.
Changes and Challenges
For 40 years under Murdoch's ownership, the newspaper often had to defend itself. People complained about how it gathered news. They said it sometimes used unfair methods, like trying to trick people.
In 1981, a magazine called Sunday was added to the newspaper. In 1984, the newspaper changed its size from a large "broadsheet" to a smaller "tabloid." It was printed in many places, including cities in the UK and even abroad in places like Madrid and Orlando, USA.
In 2011, the editor, Colin Myler, called it "the greatest newspaper in the world." This was because it had won four awards at the British Press Awards.
End of Publication
On 7 July 2011, it was announced that the News of the World would print its last edition. This happened after 168 years of publishing. The decision was made because of the ongoing phone hacking scandal. This scandal involved the newspaper getting news by listening to private phone messages without permission. About 200 jobs were lost when the paper closed.
The newspaper said that all profits from the final edition would go to "good causes." This meant 74 pence from each £1 newspaper would go to charity. The remaining money went to the shops and wholesalers who sold the paper. Closing the newspaper cost News Group Newspapers around £240 million.
Awards
The News of the World won several awards at The British Press Awards:
- "Newspaper of the Year" (2005)
- "Scoop of the Year" (2000, 'Archer quits'; 2005, 'Beckham's secret affair'; 2011, 'Cricket corruption')
- "Front Page of the Year" (2004, 'Huntley in his cell')
- "Reporter of the Year" (Gary Jones, 1995, Mazher Mahmood, 1999, 2011)
See also
In Spanish: News of the World (periódico) para niños
