Two free newspapers circulating on the South Coast have ceased publication, regional publisher Johnston Press has confirmed.
The Eastbourne Advertiser and Worthing Guardian, both free pick-ups with no home delivery, have been “mothballed” pending an upturn in economic fortunes.
The company’s main titles in each market – the Eastbourne Herald and Eastbourne Gazette, and the Worthing Herald and Worthing Advertiser – will continue to be produced with no changes to staff.
Karl Dimmock, managing director of JP subsidiary Sussex Newspapers said the publishing strategy in the market is constantly under review.
He said: “These titles have become uneconomical to publish at the moment and the situation has been exacerbated by the significant increase in newsprint costs.
“Should the economic climate and other factors change then we will review this position.”
The Guardian is the second title in Worthing to close in a matter of months.
Last year Brighton-based daily The Argus closed its Worthing offshoot, the Worthing Sentinel with the loss of an editor’s post.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Frankly some of the freebies are a disgrace to the profession though I havent seen these two. Publishers haven’t put any staff into a lot of free papers and they look like dustbins for leftovers from the paid-for. The industry is better off without this kind of trash.
Report this comment
cldnt agree more. some of them are pathetic and and depressing and should be put out of their misery.
Report this comment
Agreed. That’s one less headache for some overworked sub, selecting and shoehorning recycled news into tiny keyhole spaces between ads! Not that i know these papers, of course, but I’ve known many similar…
Report this comment
Typical. Small businesses need somewhere to advertise at a better rate than regional dailies. There are still thousands of stories out there if there’s a will. Sadly, lack of investment means there are too few staff, and those left have probably had every last bit of enthusiasm ground out of them. Dailies cant hoover up all the gems that are available on a local level.
Report this comment
I once took an irate phone call from a woman complaining that her leaflets had not been delivered. She wasn’t bothered about the freebie paper in which her leaflets were wrapped.
Report this comment
Though this is a particular event, I think it is the start of a large-scale JP strategy to cut the number of titles. Watch this space, because I believe scores more titles will be mothballed, maybe even some paid-for under-performers. And that will lead to more job cuts.
Report this comment
I suggest some of the ill informed correspondents listed below click on the Worthing Sentinel link
Report this comment