Times & Citizen

The Times & Citizen is a free local newspaper published on Thursdays in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The newspaper is distributed all over the Borough of Bedford and much of Mid Bedfordshire. Current circulation is around 59,074.[1]

Times & Citizen
Times & Citizen's former offices, Bedford
Typeweekly newspaper
FormatTabloid
Owner(s)JPIMedia
PublisherJPI Media
Founded1995 (1845)
Political alignmentleft
HeadquartersMilton Keynes, England
Circulation59,000

History
A 19th century hand press used by the Bedfordshire Times to print proofs of the front page. Now on display in Bedford Museum

First published in 1845, the Bedford Times was the first regular paper published for the Bedfordshire area. A rival paper, the Bedfordshire Independent, was established in 1857, but the two titles merged in 1859 to become the Bedford Times and Bedfordshire Independent. The title became the Bedfordshire Times and Independent in 1872, The Bedfordshire Times and Bedfordshire Standard in 1939, and simply the Bedfordshire Times in 1965. The newspaper had an unbroken weekly production record throughout this period, apart from one week in 1959 due to a printing industry strike. In 1995, the Times merged with another local paper, the Bedford Citizen, to become the Times & Citizen. Two years later in 1997 The paper was bought by Johnston Press.[2]

The paper today

The Times & Citizen carries a range of news from across Bedford Borough and the 'mid-beds' region of Central Bedfordshire. It carries sports at the back of the paper, monthly columns from area MPs, letters, entertainment and a number of other regular and occasional features, such as a monthly "School Report" and "Times Past".

The Times & Citizen is now the only editorially based print publication in Bedford Borough, following the closure of the Bedfordshire on Sunday in 2017. It does, however, share and dominate the wider Central Bedfordshire and Luton areas with sister papers Biggleswade Today and Luton Today.

But turmoil within its ownership company, JPI Media (formerly Johnston Press)[3] has put pressure on the paper's ability to serve its patch as well as it once could. Its editorial team are now based outside of the area they report upon and cover nine other titles at a 'hub' in Milton Keynes.

Circulation has also fallen in recent years. Media analysis company JICREG shows circulation of the Times & Citizen in 2013 at 81,734.[4] By October 2018 this had fallen to 59,074[1]

Some of the articles that appear in the print edition can also be read online at its website which also has occasional web features and videos uploaded.

References
  1. "Top Line Newspaper Circulation Data" (PDF). JICREG Online. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. http://www2.lutontoday.co.uk/media_information/timescitizen.htm 'History'
  3. Sweney, Mark (16 November 2018). "Owner of the Scotsman and i newspapers enters administration". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  4. "Top Line Newspaper Circulation Data" (PDF). JICREG Online. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
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