Times & Citizen (Bedford)

Infobox Newspaper
name = Times & Citizen


caption = "The Independent Voice of Bedfordshire"
type = weekly newspaper
format = Tabloid
price = Free distribution
foundation = 1995 (1845)
owners = Johnston Press
political = centrist
headquarters = Bedford, England
editor =
website = [http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/]
circulation = 80,000The "Times & Citizen" is a free local newspaper published on Thursdays in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The newspaper is distributed all over Bedford borough. Current circulation is around 80,000.

History

The "Bedfordshire Times" was first published in 1845. The paper was priced at five old pence and consisted of only four pages, with seven broadsheet columns of tightly-packed small print and no pictures. In all its time weekly production of the "Bedfordshire Times" was unbroken, even during the Second World War when paper supplies were heavily rationed, except for just one week during the printing industry dispute of July 1959. Even during the General Strike of 1926 a daily pocket-handkerchief sized issue of the paper was printed. [http://www2.lutontoday.co.uk/media_information/timescitizen.htm 'History']

In 1995, the "Bedfordshire Times" merged with another local paper, the "Bedford Citizen". The new "Times & Citizen" was created. Two years later in 1997 The paper was bought by Johnston Press. [http://www2.lutontoday.co.uk/media_information/timescitizen.htm 'History']

The paper today

The "Times & Citizen" is an established title in Bedford, with the paper's Property and Motoring sections being the most comprehensive in the area. The paper's main competition is the "Bedfordshire on Sunday", another free local paper. While the "Bedfordshire on Sunday" is known to be quite sensationalist (with many of its stories reaching the national press), the "Times & Citizen" is seen more as a conventional local newspaper covering 'softer' local interest stories.

References

External links

* [http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/ Times & Citizen website]