Editing Irish Independent

{{short description|Irish daily newspaper}}
{{Not to be confused|Irish independence (disambiguation){{!}}Irish independence|Independent Irish Party|Independent politician (Ireland)}}
{{Update|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name               = Irish Independent
| logo               = Irish_Independent_Logo.svg
| image              = [[File:IrishIndependent.JPG|180px|Broadsheet version of the ''Irish Independent'', 24 November 2005]]
| caption            = ''Irish Independent'' front page on 24 November 2005
| type               = [[Newspaper#Daily|Daily newspaper]]
| format             = [[Compact (newspaper)|Compact]]
| foundation         = {{start date and age|df=y|1905|1}}<br /> <small>(replaced ''[[Daily Irish Independent]]'')</small>
| owners             = [[Mediahuis Ireland]], a subsidiary of [[Mediahuis]]
| political          = [[Liberalism|Liberal]]
| headquarters       = [[Talbot Street]], [[Dublin]], Ireland
| circulation        = 36,000 <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ilevel.ie/print/some-newspaper-sales-update/ | title=Some Newspaper Sales update | date=27 June 2023 }}</ref>
| editor             = Cormac Bourke
| ISSN               = 0021-1222
| website            = {{url|independent.ie}}
}}

The '''''Irish Independent''''' is an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] daily [[newspaper]] and online publication which is owned by [[Mediahuis Ireland|Independent News & Media]] (INM), a subsidiary of [[Mediahuis]].

The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/who-is-the-greatest-irish-footballer-of-all-see-if-you-agree-with-our-choice-3311287.html|title=Who is the greatest Irish footballer of all – see if you agree with our choice|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=30 November 2012|access-date=30 November 2012|quote=The Legends is the third glossy magazine and iMag produced by the Irish Independent in just over a week after 'The Gathering' publication and our 'Mistletoe' Christmas special.}}</ref>

Traditionally a [[broadsheet]] newspaper, it introduced an additional [[Compact (newspaper)|compact]] size in 2004. Further, in December 2012 (following billionaire [[Denis O'Brien]]'s takeover) it was announced that the newspaper would become compact only.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/a-message-from-the-editor-to-you-our-reader-28950248.html|title=A message from the editor to you, our reader|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=21 December 2012|access-date=15 April 2013}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Irish Independent First Issue 1905 01 02.png|thumb|left|First issue of the ''Irish Independent'']]

===Murphy and family (1905–1973)===
[[File:FJmasthead.JPG|thumb|Masthead of the ''Freeman's Journal'', founded 1763, which merged with the ''Irish Independent'' in 1924]]
[[File:Captions Please... (6880132787).jpg|thumb|Independent Newspapers in January 1935]]

The ''Irish Independent'' was formed in 1905 as the direct successor to ''The Irish Daily Independent and Daily Nation'', an 1890s' pro-[[Charles Stewart Parnell|Parnellite]] newspaper. It was launched by [[William Martin Murphy]], a controversial Irish nationalist businessman, staunch anti-[[Charles Stewart Parnell|Parnellite]] and fellow townsman of Parnell's most venomous opponent, [[Timothy Michael Healy]] from Bantry.<ref>Andy Bielenberg, ''Entrepreneurship, Power, and Public Opinion in Ireland: The career of William Martin Murphy''.</ref> The first issue of the ''Irish Independent'', published 2 January 1905, was marked as "Vol. 14. No. 1".

During the [[Dublin Lockout|1913 Lockout]] of workers, in which Murphy was the leading figure among the employers, the ''Irish Independent'' vigorously sided with its owner's interests, publishing news reports and opinion pieces hostile to the strikers, expressing confidence in the unions' defeat and launching personal attacks on the leader of the strikers, [[James Larkin]]. ''The Irish Independent'' described the [[Easter Rising|1916 Easter Rising]] as "insane and criminal" and famously called for the shooting of its leaders.<ref name=easter_rising>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/newspapers/index.shtml Easter Rising newspaper archive] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409132357/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/newspapers/index.shtml |date=9 April 2016 }}—from the [[BBC]] History website</ref> In December 1919, during the [[Irish War of Independence]], a group of twenty [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] men destroyed the printing works of the paper, angered at its criticism of the [[Irish Republican Army]]'s attacks on members of the [[Dublin Metropolitan Police]] and British government officials.<ref>"Following a report on the assassination of the Lord Lieutenant&nbsp;... the IRA attacked the offices of the (Irish Independent) the following day". Ian Kenneally, ''The Paper Wall: Newspapers and Propaganda in Ireland 1919–1921''. Dublin, Collins Press. 2008, {{ISBN|1905172583}} (p. 105).</ref> In 1924, the traditional nationalist newspaper, the ''[[Freeman's Journal]]'', merged with the ''Irish Independent''. Until October 1986 the paper's masthead over the editorial contained the words "incorporating the Freeman's Journal".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/Default.aspx#panel=document|title=Irish Independent masthead containing 'Incorporating the Freeman's Journal'|work=[[IrishNewsArchive.com]]|url-access=subscription|access-date=25 November 2015}} {{Dead link|fix-attempted=yes|reason=All archived copies on archive.org redirect to a useless login page, not the content|date=November 2021}}</ref>

For most of its history, the ''Irish Independent'' (also called simply the ''Independent'' or more colloquially, the ''Indo'') was seen as a nationalist, Catholic, [[anti-Communist]], newspaper,<ref name="fm">"During the Free State Period, the ''Independent'' was characterised by a triumphalist strain of Catholicism, virulent anti-Communism and support for the Pro-Treaty Party." [[Fearghal McGarry]], "Irish Newspapers and the Spanish Civil War", ''Irish Historical Studies'', Vol. 33, No. 129 (May 2002), pp. 68–90.</ref> which gave its political allegiance to the [[Irish Civil War|Pro-Treaty]] party [[Cumann na nGaedheal]] and later its successor party, [[Fine Gael]].<ref name="fm" /> During the Spanish Civil War, the ''Irish Independent''{{'}}s coverage was strongly pro-[[Francisco Franco|Franco]]: the paper criticised the De Valera government for not intervening on behalf of the [[Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War)|Spanish Nationalists]].<ref>Fearghal McGarry, "Irish Newspapers and the Spanish Civil War", ''Irish Historical Studies'', Vol. 33, No. 129 (May 2002), pp. 68–90.</ref>

In 1961, the [[harp]] became a symbol of the ''Irish Independent''. It originally appeared in black but was changed to green in 1972.

===O'Reilly (1973–2012)===
In the 1970s, former [[Heinz]] chairman [[Tony O'Reilly]] took over the ''Irish Independent''. Under his leadership, it became a more [[market liberal]] newspaper and economic right-wing. By the mid-nineties its allegiance to Fine Gael had ended. In the [[1997 Irish general election|1997 general election]], it endorsed [[Fianna Fáil]] under a front-page editorial, entitled "It's Payback Time". While it suggested its headline referred to the fact that the election offered a chance to "pay back" politicians for their failings, its opponents suggested that the "payback" actually referred to its chance to get revenge for the refusal of the [[Rainbow Coalition (Ireland 1992)|Rainbow Coalition]] to award the company a mobile phone licence.<ref name=partiality_claim>[http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2002/12/06/story187197121.asp ''Irish Examiner'' archives] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508122143/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2002/12/06/story187197121.asp |date=8 May 2009 }}—O'Reilly 'took revenge in editorial'. 2 December 2002</ref>

In late 2004, Independent Newspapers moved from their traditional home in Middle Abbey Street to a new office, Independent House in [[Talbot Street]], with the printing facilities already relocated to the [[Citywest]] business park near [[Tallaght]].

On 27 September 2005, a fortnight after the paper published its centenary edition, it was announced that editor Vinnie Doyle would step down after 24 years in the position. He was replaced by Gerry O'Regan, who had until then been editor of the ''Irish Independent''{{'}}s sister paper, the ''Evening Herald''. The newspaper's previous editor [[Stephen Rae (editor)|Stephen Rae]] was also formerly editor of the ''Evening Herald'' and was appointed editor in September 2012. Fionnan Sheahan was appointed editor in January 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/media/inm-appoints-two-new-editors-to-irish-independent-and-sunday-independent-30894485.html|title=INM appoints two new editors to Irish Independent and Sunday Independent|work=The Irish Independent|date=9 January 2015}}</ref>

===O'Brien (2012–2019)===
Billionaire [[Denis O'Brien]] acquired a majority shareholding of the ''Irish Independent''{{'}}s parent company INM in May 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2012/0503/319522-unidentified-buyer-snaps-up-almost-6-of-inm/|title=Denis O'Brien buys another 5% stake in Independent News & Media|work=[[RTÉ News and Current Affairs|RTÉ Business]]|date=3 May 2012|access-date=17 September 2020}}</ref>

===Mediahuis (2019–present)===

In July 2019 the takeover of INM by Belgian media group [[Mediahuis]] was approved by the Irish High Court.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/media/court-approves-inm-takeover-by-mediahuis-38358574.html|title=Court approves INM takeover by Mediahuis|work=Irish Independent|first=Ellie|last=Donnelly|date=30 July 2019}}</ref>

From 11 February 2020, it was announced that Independent.ie content would go behind a paywall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/outside-chances-of-new-sindo-boss-alan-english-qppd3bjtc|title=Outside chances of new Sindo boss Alan English|first=John|last=Burns|work=[[The Times]]|date=2 February 2020}}</ref>

====Digital archives====
The Irish Independent is available on the [[Irish Newspaper Archives]], in black-and-white microfilm up to 2004, in colour since 2005. It is also archived up to 2009 online on the [[British Newspaper Archive]] website.

==New Irish Writing and Hennessy Award==
Since 2011, the ''Irish Independent'' has been the home of New Irish Writing (and its associated Hennessy Award),<ref>[http://www.writing.ie/resources/new-irish-writing/ Vanessa O'Loughlin, "New Irish Writing"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321082257/http://www.writing.ie/resources/new-irish-writing/ |date=21 March 2016 }}, Writing.ie.</ref> which was originally established by [[David Marcus (writer)|David Marcus]] in 1969 in the ''[[Irish Press]]'' and appeared in the ''[[Sunday Tribune]]'' from 1988 to 2011. The New Irish Writing Page is "the longest-running creative writing feature of its kind in any Irish or British newspaper".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/your-chance-to-join-the-ranks-of-our-best-writers-26835952.html|title=Your chance to join the ranks of our best writers|work=The Irish Independent|date=25 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080837/http://writing4all.com/news/new-home-new-irish-writing-and-hennessy-award "New home for New Irish Writing and the Hennessy Award"]}}, Writing4all.ie.</ref>

==''Exam Brief''==
''The Irish Independent'', in co-operation with the [[Institute of Education (Dublin)|Institute of Education]], produces ''Exam Brief'', a yearly six-part supplement dedicated to preparation for Leaving and Junior Certificate exams.<ref>{{cite news|title=Exam Brief|url=http://www.independent.ie/education/exam-brief/|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091005102851/http://www.independent.ie/education/exam-brief/|archive-date=5 October 2009|publisher=Irish Independent|access-date=5 March 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> This supplement is published in February, March and April each year.

==Related papers and concerns==
See [[Independent News & Media]] article for newspapers and media assets in the wider group.

==Print circulation==
Average [[Newspaper circulation|print circulation]] was approximately 165,000 copies per issue in 1999,<ref name="circ1999"/> and had dropped to approximately 100,000 by 2016.<ref name="circ2016"/>

{{Bar chart
| title = 
| table_width = 35
| label_type = Year (period)
| data_type  = Average circulation per issue
| data1 = 165,650 | label1 = 1999 (January to July)<ref name="circ1999">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/good-times-begin-to-roll-for-hard-pressed-newspaper-sector-1.217485|title=Good times begin to roll for hard-pressed newspaper sector|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] }}</ref>
| data2 = 162,582 | label2 = 2006 (January to December)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1026437.shtml|title=Irish Times, Sunday Business Post circulation down 30% since 2006|website=www.finfacts.ie}}</ref>
| data3 = 149,906 | label3 = 2009 (July to December)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/fall-in-circulation-for-all-of-republic-s-daily-newspapers-1.623745|title=Fall in circulation for all of Republic's daily newspapers|first=Laura|last=Slattery|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref>
| data4 = 125,986 | label4 = 2012 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/102405-irish-morning-newspaper-abc-circulations-jan-june-2012|title=Irish Morning Newspaper ABC Circulations, Jan–June 2012 – SEO Ireland, Search Engine Optimisation, Media and Marketing Consulting|work=ilevel.ie|access-date=26 August 2012|archive-date=22 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222041929/http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/102405-irish-morning-newspaper-abc-circulations-jan-june-2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| data5 = 123,981 | label5 = 2012 (July to December)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/102467-morning-newspapers-abc-july-dec-2012|title=Morning Newspapers ABC July–Dec 2012 – SEO Ireland, Search Engine Optimisation, Media and Marketing Consulting|work=ilevel.ie|access-date=23 February 2013|archive-date=12 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212005148/http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/102467-morning-newspapers-abc-july-dec-2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| data6 = 112,383 | label6 = 2014 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bywire.news/articles/the-irish-independent-newspaper-circulation|title=The Irish Independent Newspaper Circulation|date=10 December 2020 |publisher=bywire.news|access-date=2020-12-10}}</ref>
| data7 = 102,537 | label7 = 2016 (January to June)<ref name="circ2016">{{cite web|url=http://abc.org.uk/Certificates/47919743.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=18 August 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919162015/http://abc.org.uk/Certificates/47919743.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2016 }}</ref>
| data8 = 97,104 | label8 = 2016 (July to December)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48211941.pdf |title=Certificate |publisher=www.abc.org.uk |access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref>
| data9 = 94,502 | label9 = 2017 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48554060.pdf |title=Certificate |publisher=www.abc.org.uk |access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref>
| data10 = 90,107 | label10 = 2017 (July to December)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/102971-irish-newspaper-circulation-july-dec-2017-island-of-ireland-report-2|title=Irish Newspaper Circulation July-Dec 2017 Island of Ireland Report – Media and Marketing Consulting, PPC, SEO Ireland, Search Engine Optimisation|first=Conor|last=Doyle|website=www.ilevel.ie|access-date=22 February 2018|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106215005/http://www.ilevel.ie/media-blog/print/102971-irish-newspaper-circulation-july-dec-2017-island-of-ireland-report-2|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| data11 = 87,673 | label11 = 2018 (January to June)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49060449.pdf |title=Certificate |publisher=www.abc.org.uk |access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref>
| data12 = 83,900 | label12 = 2018 (July to December)<ref name="abc.org.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49255849.pdf |title=Certificate |publisher=www.abc.org.uk |access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref>
| data13 = 36,000 | label13 = 2023 (March) <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ilevel.ie/print/some-newspaper-sales-update/ | title=Some Newspaper Sales update | date=27 June 2023 }}</ref>
}}

In 2019, [[Independent News & Media]] exited the ABC auditing process.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.ilevel.ie/print/irish-newspaper-circulation-jan-june-2019-island-of-ireland-report/|title=Irish Newspaper Circulation Jan-June 2019 Island of Ireland Report Print|date=22 August 2019 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{official website|http://www.independent.ie}}

{{Independent News & Media}}
{{Newspapers in the Republic of Ireland}}
{{Ireland newspapers}}

[[Category:Irish Independent| ]]
[[Category:1905 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:Daily newspapers published in Ireland|Independent]]
[[Category:Independent News & Media]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Political newspapers published in Ireland]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1905]]
[[Category:Podcasting companies]]