The Leicester Mercury is a British regional newspaper for the city of Leicester and the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The paper began in the 19th century as the Leicester Daily Mercury and later changed to its present title.[2]
The paper was founded by James Thompson, already proprietor of the Leicester Chronicle which he had merged with the Leicestershire Mercury ten years earlier.[3] The Leicester Daily Mercury was an evening paper, the first to be published in Leicester, and provided support to the Liberal Party in the general election.[4] The first issue was published on 31 January 1874 from the paper's offices at 3 St Martin's, consisting of four pages of five columns each. The paper had a staff of 25 and a circulation of 5,000.[5][6]
Recent history
The Leicester Mercury has experienced declining circulation, similar to other regional British newspapers. The paper had an average circulation of 69,069 per day in the first half of 2008, down from 73,634 per day the previous year.[7][8] This represented a 5.7% year-on-year decline[8] and a 47% drop compared to the 139,357 copies sold in the equivalent period for 1989.[9]
The newspaper is the sixth largest-selling regional title in England.[7] In 2001, the newspaper received the Regional Newspaper of the Year award after a redesign and relaunch. In 2006, the paper discontinued its localised weekday editions for Loughborough, Hinckley, North West Leicestershire, Melton Mowbray and Market Harborough, replacing them with two general editions covering east and west Leicestershire. The paper maintained two daily editions for Leicester city. The Mercury retained reporting staff in each market town while reducing editorial staff in other areas through non-replacement of departing employees. The company discontinued its Sports Mercury edition due to declining readership and ABC rule changes that no longer allowed the paper to include the sport paper's sales within the main daily editions' circulation figures.[10] The paper subsequently relaunched its Sporting Blue sports newspaper with tête-bêche binding to cover Leicester City and Leicester Tigers.[11]
From January 2010 to September 2011, the paper published a youth supplement called The Leicester WAVE[12] on the last Wednesday of each month. People under the age of 25 wrote the content, which examined how Mercury stories affected young people. Sam Newton edited the supplement in 2011.[13]
The newspaper's headquarters underwent an external renovation at a reported cost of £12.5m before reopening to the public. The redesigned building aligned with Leicester's plans for an "office core" near the Mercury's head office.[14] In April 2009, some production work transferred to a hub in Nottingham that also handled work for the Nottingham Post and the Derby Telegraph, while approximately 60 journalists remained in Leicester. In 2016, Trinity Mirror listed the third floor of the newspaper's building for lease, with plans to relocate all journalists to a new office in 2017. The newspaper's reporters, sports writers, photographers, feature writers, and proofreaders continued to be based in Leicester and other Leicestershire towns.[citation needed]
The offices relocated to New Walk from Mercury Place in March 2017.[15] In 2024, the office moved to the University of Leicester campus.[16]
In December 2006, 79% of the Mercury's workforce voted for National Union of Journalists recognition, making the paper the second Northcliffe Newspapers chapel to secure union representation.[17]
The Leicester Mercury implemented a digital strategy in the 2010s, launching its online platform LeicestershireLive to provide news across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.[21] LeicestershireLive launched in February 2018 as part of Reach plc's regional digital expansion.[22] Print circulation decreased from approximately 25,000 in 2015 to 4,997 daily copies by 2025, while online readership grew to over 4.2 million monthly page views by 2024.[23] LeicestershireLive became the primary publishing channel for the newspaper.
Multimedia Content Development
LeicestershireLive expanded to include video reports, photo galleries, and interactive content. The platform introduced a digital content management system in 2019 for faster publication and improved audience analytics.[24] During Leicester City Football Club's 2016 Premier League victory, the platform published match updates, videos, and reader reactions, recording over 500,000 page views in one day.[25] The 2015 reburial of King Richard III coverage included blogs, historical photographs, and video of the cathedral ceremony.[26] The 2023 Leicester Caribbean Carnival coverage featured photo galleries and video of the parade.[27]
Digital Distribution Channels
LeicestershireLive utilizes multiple digital channels: website, social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) (@leicslive) and Facebook, and mobile applications. As of 2024, the @leicslive X account had 130,000 followers, and its Facebook page had approximately 215,000 followers.[28] In 2022, LeicestershireLive launched a redesigned mobile application with personalized news feeds and location-based content options.[29] The platform uses push notifications for mobile users.[30]
Organisational Structure
The digital operations of the Leicester Mercury are managed through Reach plc's Nottingham production hub, with a team of local journalists covering Leicester and Leicestershire news. In 2021, Reach plc implemented a "Live" newsroom model across its regional titles, including LeicestershireLive, introducing specialized digital roles such as audience editors, social media producers, and SEO specialists.[31] As of 2025, the LeicestershireLive editorial team consists of approximately 15 journalists, including a digital editor and multimedia content creators.[32]
Digital Business Model
LeicestershireLive uses a digital revenue strategy combining display advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing. In 2023, the platform introduced "LeicestershireLive Plus," a premium content section offering exclusive articles to registered users without a paywall.[33] The site developed location-based advertising capabilities for local businesses to target specific Leicester neighborhoods and demographics.[34]
Cultural and Social Impact
The Leicester Mercury has reported on Leicester's development over its 150-year history, documenting the city's change from an industrial center to a multicultural city. The newspaper covers Leicester's diverse communities, including South Asian, African-Caribbean, and Eastern European populations, through reporting on cultural festivals, community initiatives, and social issues.[35] Its coverage includes events such as the Leicester Caribbean Carnival, Diwali celebrations, and Leicester Pride.[36]
The Leicester Mercury has covered major events in Leicester's history. The newspaper published front-page headlines and special editions about Leicester City Football Club's 2016 Premier League victory.[37] It covered King Richard III's discovery and reburial in 2015 with historical information and updates.[38] The newspaper reports on local traditions, such as Melton Mowbray's VE Day events with Spitfire fly-pasts.[39]
The Leicester Mercury covers local incidents and social issues. In 2018, it reported on the drowning of six-year-old Khai Satkunarajah in the River Soar, including search efforts, tributes, and safety campaigns.[40] The newspaper reported on the 2024 murder of 80-year-old Bhim Kohli in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, detailing the attack, family response, and community reaction.[41] The newspaper's "Tower of Horrors" series examined living conditions in Leicester's tower blocks.[42]
The Leicester Mercury's online platform, LeicestershireLive, publishes content through digital media, interactive features, and real-time reporting. The 2019 "Save Our Venues" campaign covered Leicester's independent music venues.[43]
Notable Journalists and Editorial Figures
The Leicester Mercury and LeicestershireLive employ journalists who report on Leicester and Leicestershire.
Tom Mack
Tom Mack is a senior reporter at LeicestershireLive who joined the publication in 2016. He has reported on the 2018 Leicester explosion and the murder trial of Rania Alayed's husband in 2014. His work focuses on breaking news and community stories.
Hannah Richardson
Hannah Richardson is a Local Democracy Reporter for Leicestershire, covering Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and the District and Borough Councils for LeicestershireLive, the BBC and other media partners.
Dylan Hayward
Dylan Hayward is a reporter for LeicestershireLive. He covers Leicestershire and frequently writes about crime, local government, education, health, environmental issues and housing. Dylan previously worked as a reporter at BirminghamLive. In 2022, he won the Reach Plc Digital Journalism Award for exceptional digital journalism.
Lee Garrett
Lee Garrett is a content editor. He reports on crime and courts for LeicestershireLive. He has covered the 2020 sentencing of Dylan West and the 2024 Bhim Kohli murder trial.
Tess Rushin
Tess is a Local Democracy Reporter, covering Leicestershire County Council and several district councils. Tess joined Leicestershire Live in 2012, working first as a communities editor and then social media manager. She previously worked in the public sector and has expertise in a variety of local government matters.
Julia Breens
Julia Breens is a local democracy reporter covering Charnwood, Hinckley and Melton district councils
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
