Print is dead. Long live print.

By: Will Herman, Associate Director

Evolution of UK print media

In 2022, ABC figures showed that sales of the biggest UK daily paper, the Daily Mail, dropped below 900,000 for the first time since the 1920s. In February 2025, the Daily Mirror’s circulation dropped below 200,000 – the lowest since before the First World War.  

This trend reflects a wider decline in UK print media circulation, affecting national, trade and consumer publications. Even for what remains the best-selling news magazine in the UK, Private Eye, the numbers are down – a 6% yr on yr decline in 2023 with an average of 231,000 sales per fortnight. 

Digital media: Shifts and opportunities

The decline is not limited to print. Leading digital publications have also seen readership drops. In 2023 New Scientist declined 14%, Investors Chronicle fell 18%, and The Economist saw a 2% drop.

There were some notable exceptions. The BBC History Magazine recorded a 37% rise – the only players to better this included a significant readership outside the UK, while the BCC History Magazine’s strong performance can be attributed, in part at least, to sales via bundled all-you-can-read magazine services such as Readly.  

Why print media still matters

This is an all-too-familiar story, influenced by a complex interplay of changing work and social patterns, economic issues, demographic shifts and changing consumer preferences. But just as vinyl has found a new groove with a select fan base, so you might argue that print media is in fact coming of age, fulfilling a more clearly defined role for niche audiences across multiple demographics and regions. The interesting bit is how, and why it has been able to do that.  

Let’s look at Sidetracked Magazine, the outdoor adventure journal. Sidetracked started life as a digital only magazine in 2011, but in 2014 defied the cynics and moved into print with a bi-annual publication. From the start this was a magazine that raised the bar. High quality print and design matched by considered editorial and best-in-class photography – it was a connoisseur’s choice, a magazine to be savoured, stored, collected and returned to on a long winter evening. And this premiumisation of print media is the key, at least for some sectors. 

In print we trust

Trust is another irrefutably significant factor in the staying power of print. From fake news to AI generated content, public trust in digital media has been hit hard in recent years. The Thales 2025 Digital Trust Index, published March 2025, reveals a universal decline in consumer trust across digital services. And in its Global Trust Index Ranking, news media organisations polled the lowest. Just 3% of citizens ranked digital media as a top trusted sector. Social media, logistics, and automotive sectors only ranked marginally higher, at 4% each. Coupled with growing consumer scepticism, awareness of threats intrinsically linked to digital media is rising. With cyber crime increasing, so consumer expectation regarding data privacy rights is growing.  

Print, on the other hand, remains a safe space, and for the discerning consumer in sectors from finance to extreme sports, it is a last bastion in which there remains faith in the integrity of the content being presented. For brands, what print lacks in interactivity is compensated for by consistency and a tangible experience. At the same time, the challenges associated with the fragmented nature of online advertising, which can make generating substantial revenue difficult, are largely negated. 

Niche publications: A growing opportunity

It remains a complex picture and one which continues to evolve rapidly. But just as the decline of mainstream print media has been consistent for at least a decade, so the growth of niche publications has been constant if not dramatic. Such media thrives on depth – the old long form editorial – and specificity. It cultivates a sense of community, fosters loyalty, and a granular approach to content maximizes advertising impact. In a shrinking market, the niche model is perhaps the only one which remains not just sustainable, but profitable in the longer-term. 

Far from being dead, print has refocused on what it always did best: premium content, trustworthiness, and a tangible experience that resonates with readers. For brands and PR profession, this represents an opportunity to reach engaged, loyal audiences. Long may it continue.