- XPRESS (newspaper)
"XPRESS" was launched in the
UAE onMarch 15 ,2007 [ [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2007/03/colourful_new_freesheet_for_du.html "Guardian"] ] [ [http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9378 "Arabian Business"] ] [ [http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/03/15/10111246.html "Gulf News"] ] [ [http://www.ameinfo.com/110465.html ameinfo.com] ] [ [http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=MEDIA&artid=120549 "Trade Arabia"] ] [ [http://www.dubaicityguide.com/specials/index.asp dubaicityguide.com] ] [ [http://www.dubai-online.com/news/new-newspaper-xpress-out-today/ dubai-online.com] ] [ [http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidGN_15032007_10111246/secIndustries/pagMedia zawya.com] ] [ [http://uaeinteract.com/news/default.asp?ID=43 uaeinteract.com] ] as a free weekly newspaper and competitor to the likes of "7DAYS " and Emirates Today."XPRESS" was set up as a multicultural community paper for all UAE residents, both UAE nationals and expatriates.
The tabloid newspaper, published in
Dubai by Al Nisr Group as a sister paper to "Gulf News ", covers news, leisure and entertainment and sports, with an emphasis on the local.Development and launch
Work on "XPRESS" - then known as "Project X" - began in the basement of the Gulf News offices off
Sheikh Zayed Road nearSafa Park in early 2005. Rumours of the secret project began to leak into the UAE media industry over the next few months, but the details of the publication - including its name - remained a closely guarded secret until its launch was announced on March 12, 2007.Initial media reports indicated that Al Nisr Media intended to publish "XPRESS" twice weekly, and hoped to obtain a licence to publish daily [ [http://www.ameinfo.com/110465.html ameinfo.com] ] .
However, by the time it launched, "XPRESS" itself confirmed it would be published once a week, on Thursdays. The publishers have not confirmed whether they intend to seek a daily licence from the Dubai authorities.
The newspaper was designed by Dr Mario Garcia, president of the Tampa-based Garcia Media, who described it as "a vibrant, contemporary newspaper totally created for the reader of the 'always on' culture". [ [http://www.garcia-media.com/NeArticl.asp?pageid=340 garcia-media.com] ]
Reception from Dubai's media circle to the inaugural issue was mixed, with one pundit describing it as "a headache on every page" [ [http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9463 arabianbusiness.com] ] and accusing it of running parochial stories. However, the same reporter praised the new paper's dedication to printing original stories and said it helped fulfill a growing desire for local news in fast-growing Dubai.
Distribution
Al Nisr Media print between 80,000 and 100,000 copies of XPRESS for distribution every Thursday. [ [http://www.ameinfo.com/110465.html ameinfo.com] ]
The primary means of distribution are newspaper stands in many of Dubai's petrol stations, with others in apartment block foyers and malls. Subscribers to "XPRESS"'s sister paper, the paid-for "Gulf News", have copies delivered to their homes on a Thursday or Friday.
References
External links
* [http://www.xpress4me.com XPRESS]
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