From the Guardian’s Readers’ Editor, Chris Elliott, we’ve learned that the Guardian International Edition has bit the dust.
Writes Elliott:
A sign of the difficult times for newspapers has been the loss of international editions. The last international Guardian was put together on 30 September; since then a dedicated corps of readers have been deprived of their daily fix.
One email encapsulated several points about reader preferences: ‘To my horror my local newsagents here in Spain told me the Guardian (and I suppose tomorrow the Observer) are no longer on sale in Spain.’
Oh yes, the horror!!!
As the Telegraph’s Katherine Rushton noted recently about the Guardian group’s rapid decline, which includes a steep decrease in circulation and a pre-tax loss of £43.8m in fiscal year 2010:
“Guardian News & Media said in June it needs to make £25m of savings over the next five years to help it address its annual losses. It cut 203 jobs in the year to March 31, 2011, and 100 more the year before but has struggled to narrow losses as revenues fell, dropping from £221m to £198.2m.”
What is an extreme left propaganda sheet to do?
Well, Rushton notes that there may indeed be some light at the end of the tunnel. The Guardian’s strategy for getting back their groove?
“Guardian News & Media is eyeing premises in London’s expensive Covent Garden to open a lifestyle store, likely to be branded “G3” – taking its name from the newspaper’s G2 supplement.
The shop may form part of a larger “lifestyle space” and would sell “wholesome, ethical and environmentally friendly” products that sit comfortably with the newspaper’s left-leaning bias, a source told The Telegraph.”
I’m sorry, but the possibility of a Guardian retail outlet simply begs for mockery. Please tell us, dear CiF Watch reader, what you think a Guardian Lifestyle Store would sell. What will the shop be callled? To whom will they give the honor of ceremonially opening their first location?
And…well, any other ideas on the nature of their five year retail plan would be greatly appreciated!
