Western Mail (Wales)

Infobox Newspaper
name =


type = Daily newspaper
circulation = 40,000
format = Compact
foundation = 1869
owners = Trinity Mirror
political = Populist
headquarters = Thomson House,
Cardiff
editor = Alan Edmunds
website = [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/ www.walesonline.co.uk]
The "Western Mail" is a daily tabloid newspaper published by Media Wales Ltd in Cardiff, Wales owned by the UK's largest newspaper corporation, Trinity Mirror.

It describes itself as "the national newspaper of Wales" (originally "the national newspaper of Wales and Monmouthshire"). It was published in broadsheet format until 2004, when it became a compact.

The newspaper devotes a great deal of its coverage to Welsh rugby.

The "Western Mail" was founded in Cardiff in 1869 ["The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales". John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pg615 ISBN 9780708319536] by John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute as a penny daily paper. Lascelles Carr (1841-1902), editor since 1869, bought the paper with Daniel Owen in 1877. Historically in south Wales the "Western Mail" has always been associated with its original owners, the coal and iron industrialists. Often this led to the paper being regarded with a considerable degree of enmity, especially during the strikes in the coal industry of the 20th century. This association between newspaper and its owner was so strong there is still a degree of distrust of the paper in South Wales.

On the other hand, and particularly following devolution, the newspaper has adopted a populist, localist, pro-Wales stance, mainly in trying to find a Welsh focus on major news stories. The newspaper has also stressed the community issues such as the closure of Welsh schools [cite news |author=Harry Kretchmer |authorlink=Harry Kretchmer |title=Closing doors for the last time |url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/1100education/tm_method=full%26objectid=12045651%26siteid=50082-name_page.html |work=Western Mail |page=3 (features) |date=July 19 2002 ]

The paper has varied the amount of space given over to Welsh language coverage, but currently at least two full pages of Welsh are provided in the Saturday supplement.

ee also

*List of newspapers in Wales

References

External links

* [http://www.walesonline.co.uk Website of the "Western Mail" and "South Wales Echo"]