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New weekly hits the streets as newspaper battle hots up

A new independent weekly launched in the midst of a county’s newspaper war has gone on sale for the first time.

The Oxford Paper has hit the newsstands today with an initial print run of 7,500 copies.

Priced at 60p, the paper has been set up by independent publisher Taylor Newspapers to run in “direct competition” with Newsquest daily the Oxford Mail and its sister weekly the Oxford Times.

In June, Newsquest launched countywide free weekly the Oxfordshire Star days after Taylor vowed to take on regional press industry “Goliaths” with the expansion of its Oxfordshire Guardian series to cover Henley-on-Thames.

Oxford Paper first

The debut issue, pictured above, is 72 pages long and features an eight page replica of a 1916 edition of the now-defunct Oxford Journal Illustrated in the centre section.

The paper’s launch marks Taylor’s first foray into the paid-for market. It is available from 600 outlets across Oxfordshire.

Managing director Howard Taylor said: “We are very proud of our team that has worked to produce this first issue.

“We are quietly confident about it’s future in the paid for market.”