Western Mail

The Western Mail is a “red-top” daily tabloid which bills itself as Wales’s national newspaper, although its main circulation area is in the south, with very few copies sold in North Wales.

It was founded in Cardiff in 1869 by the 3rd Marquess of Bute, and subsequently owned by coal and iron industrialists. This meant that it was not always popular among a large segment of its target readership, the coalminers and steelworkers of South Wales, who regarded it as a “management” paper – especially because of its hostile stance towards strikers in the big strikes of the 20th century. However, it provides a good deal of coverage of populist issues such as rugby, football and athletics; and it tries to find a Welsh angle on events in the wider world. The amount of Welsh-language content has varied; currently at least two full pages appear every Saturday.

It’s published on Mondays to Saturdays by Media Wales Ltd (formerly Western Mail & Echo Ltd), which in turn is part of the Trinity Mirror group. There are two editions, East and West.

Originally a broadsheet, it became a “compact” (tabloid) in 2004. It has a sister paper, the South Wales Echo, and an associated Sunday newspaper, Wales on Sunday; all three share the same website.

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