The Rise and Fall of Diversity in the Liverpool Newspaper Press

Abstract

Liverpool can boast one of the earliest newspapers in the north of England. Then, in the nineteenth century, as trade and population soared, the ‘Second City of Empire’ was served by the most extensive and diverse newspaper press in England outside London. However, the twentieth century saw the Liverpool press become a virtual monopoly by one newspaper group. Today, just the Liverpool Echo survives. The history of the Liverpool newspaper press was not simply a reflection of the rise and fall of Liverpool as a centre of trade. Trade was a key enabler for growth but the subsequent decline was largely due to commercial factors within the wider press industry. In between, a continually innovative press demonstrated how diversity could work to everyone’s advantage. Liverpool’s experiences and achievements are relevant today in a world where the press is often much less diverse than its readership.