A regional daily issued a tongue-in-cheek alert about taking the “special measure” of printing a paper edition due to an online malfunction.
The Oxford Mail is one of a number of Newsquest titles to have suffered issues with its website today.
The malfunction has prompted the Mail to run a post on its Facebook page drawing readers’ attention to the fact that a print edition was available across the county for 75p.
The ironic post was published under the title ‘Oxford Mail alert’ by news editor Pete Hughes.
It reads: “As our website has been continuing to malfunction today, we have taken the special measure of printing the latest stories onto a paper edition!
“We have sent these ‘news papers’ to shops across the whole of Oxfordshire where you can buy them now!
“As we had to use an enormous printing press and deliver them around the county we are asking people to pay 75p a copy.
“We hope to have our free website back up and running soon.”
Pete’s Oxford Mail colleague and namesake, features editor Tim Hughes, tweeted in response: “Here’s a novel idea… why not go out & actually BUY a newspaper &, like, pay for all the effort, skill & resources that go into local journalism.
“An inspired post by @TheOxfordMail news editor @OxMailPeteH today in response to web glitches.”
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
A good and funny spin on a genuine problem so fair dues to them,it’s also a far better idea than some so called ‘ innovations’ we hear about by other publishers on HTFP and you never know it just might work!
Report this comment
“why not go out & actually BUY a newspaper &, like, pay for all the effort, skill & resources that go into local journalism”
Why put anything, like, online, then?
Neat way of implying your online audience is tight.
Report this comment
“…effort, skill & resources that go into local journalism” – sadly, far less than used to, and, in some cases, barely still extant.
Report this comment
It would be nice if this inspired an upsurge in print sales, albeit probably temporary and considered a quaint contingency, but any piqued purchasing propensity could be largely counter-acted by coinciding with coronavirus self-isolators’ reluctance to go out and buy a copy.
Report this comment