Express & Star

The Express & Star is a regional evening newspaper in Britain. Founded in 1889, it is based in Wolverhampton, England, and covers the West Midlands county and Staffordshire.

Express & Star
TypeDaily regional newspaper
Owner(s)Midland News Association
EditorMartin Wright
Founded1874
Headquarters51–53 Queen Street, Wolverhampton
Circulation13,213 (as of 2023)[1]
Sister newspapersShropshire Star
Websiteexpressandstar.com

Currently edited by Martin Wright, the Express & Star publishes six editions a week between Monday and Saturday. In 2007 the newspaper had a daily circulation of 174,989[2] by June 2014 it was 73,473, [3] then 55,373 in 2016, 38,690 in 2019 [4] and by 2021 was 19,683.[5]

In 2022 figures from JICREG (Joint industry Currency for Regional Media Research) show that 17,973 papers are printed each day and there are 51,403 readers. Online expressandstar.com has 1.64 million monthly unique users with 8.9 million monthly page views.

The Express & Star features a mixture of regional and national news and has a strong following for its sports coverage of association football, particularly local teams Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall, and West Bromwich Albion.

The Express & Star is one of the few independent newspapers still operating in the UK, having been under the continuous ownership of the Graham family almost since its inception. It is owned by the Midland News Association (MNA), which also owns the Shropshire Star newspaper.

In January 2013 editor Adrian Faber announced his decision to step down after 11 years at the Express & Star. He was replaced by Shropshire Star editor Keith Harrison in April 2013, who remained at the helm until leaving the newspaper late in 2018.

Harrison was replaced by Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright, who became Midland News Association editor-in-chief, editing both the Express & Star and Shropshire Star

History

The origins of the Express & Star lie in the Evening Star – a liberal newspaper founded in Wolverhampton in 1880 as a rival to the existing conservative Evening Express, itself founded in 1874. In 1882 the Star was bought by wealthy Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, encouraged by his friend and fellow Dunfermline-born liberal (and by then prominent Wolverhampton councillor) Thomas Graham.

The combination of Carnegie's finance and Graham's organisational ability saw the paper flourish and within two years the Star had taken over the Express under the editorship of another Dunfermline native, editor Andrew Meikle. The combined newspaper adopted its current name in 1889.

Carnegie severed his links with the paper and its parent company the Midland News Association in 1902, leaving Graham in full control until his death in 1909. The following decades saw a steady expansion under Graham's descendants, with the paper's influence spreading out from its native Wolverhampton to cover the entire Black Country. An office in Birmingham was opened and later closed.

The 21st century saw a drop in circulation and advertising revenues, in common with most other newspapers, leading to the company shedding around 50 jobs through a voluntary redundancy scheme in April 2006, with further cuts announced in January 2007. Printing plants in West Bromwich, Wolverhampton and Ketley, Telford were closed in 2009, 2011 and 2021. Now the Express & Star is printed by Newsquest at their Deeside office.

In April 2011 the Express & Star introduced paid-for access to selected online content – including photo galleries, football match analysis and traffic and travel – under the banner of Express & Star 24. A print, online and smartphone package was offered for £2.34 a week, which included delivery of the newspaper. However, the paywall was scrapped after just nine months.[6] The digital edition of the Express & Star was re-launched in 2021 and allows readers to access news, sport and analysis on their mobile or tablet.

In September 2023, the paper was sold by the family-owned Claverley Group to National World.[7]

Online media

The Express & Star publishes breaking news and sport content online each day, in addition to regular blogs and unique video content. Its website expressandstar.com was launched in 1997. It is the fastest growing website among the leading regional publishers,[8] with 1.64 million monthly unique users and 8.9 million monthly page views.

August 2012 saw the website re-launched in a responsive web design alongside its sister title shropshirestar.com – believed to be the first of any other regional newspaper websites in the UK.[9]

An Express & Star App for iPad and iPhone was launched in January 2012, using page-turning technology to mimic the look and feel of the actual newspaper. Further apps for Android and Kindle Fire were released in February 2013.

The website also offers free access to the weekly Chronicle series.

Leveson Inquiry

On 20 March 2012 Express & Star former editor Adrian Faber appeared as a witness at the Leveson Inquiry into Press standards.[10] He told the inquiry that regional newspapers are different from national titles, relying far more on trust. Mr Faber said the Express & Star had never hacked a mobile phone, never paid a public official for a story and saw trust as integral to its role.[11]

Awards

The Express & Star was awarded Midland Newspaper of the Year in 2012 by the Midlands Media Awards.[12]

The Express & Star was awarded Daily/Sunday newspaper of the year (above 25,000) at the Regional Press Awards for 2013.[13]

Editors
  • Martin Wright (2018–present)
  • Keith Harrison (2013–2018)
  • Adrian Faber (2002–2013)
  • Warren Wilson (1995–2002)
  • Keith Parker (1977–1995)
  • Mark Kersen (?-?)
  • Clement Jones (1960–1970)
  • Andrew Meikle (1885–1922)

Notable former contributors

Editions

See also

References
  1. "Express & Star (West Midlands)". Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK). 21 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  2. "Increased sales for half of all regional press titles". Hold The Front Page. 25 June 2007.
  3. "Home - ABC". Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  4. "Express & Star (West Midlands) Circulation Certificate". Audit Bureau of Circulations. 28 February 2019.
  5. "Express & Star (West Midlands) Circulation Certificate". Audit Bureau of Circulations. 4 August 2021.
  6. "Midlands daily scraps online paywall after nine months". Hold The Front Page. 18 January 2012.
  7. Madden, Sophie (29 September 2023). "Shropshire Star and Express and Star bought by publisher". BBC News. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  8. "Expressandstar.com nets bumper online audience". Express & Star. 5 March 2012.
  9. Edge, Abigail (28 February 2013). "Designing the Express and Star's responsive website". Journalism.co.uk.
  10. "View Section: Mr Adrian Faber ::Leveson Inquiry". SayIt. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  11. "Day 53 PM". Leveson Inquiry (PDF). The National Archives. 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. "E&S crowned Midlands Newspaper of the Year". Express & Star. 16 March 2012.
  13. "Express & Star is newspaper of the year". Express & Star. 17 May 2014.
  14. "Wolverhampton turned me into Tory, reveals Boris". Express & Star. 7 June 2012.
  15. "Boycie, Richie and Sybil back the Shropshire Star". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
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