Description
The i Paper, known as i until December 2024, is a British national newspaper published in London by Daily Mail and General Trust and distributed across the United Kingdom. It is aimed at "readers and lapsed readers" of all ages and commuters with limited time, and was originally launched in 2010 as a sister paper to The Independent.
The i was later acquired by Johnston Press in 2016 after The Independent shifted to a digital-only model. The i came under the control of JPIMedia a day after Johnston Press filed for administration on 16 November 2018. The paper and its website were bought by the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) on 29 November 2019, for £49.6 million. On 6 December 2019 the Competition and Markets Authority served an initial enforcement order on DMGT and DMG Media Limited, requiring the paper to be run separately pending investigation.
The paper is classified as a "quality" in the UK market but is published in the standard compact tabloid-size format. Since its inception, The i Paper has expanded its layout and coverage, adding special sections for notable events and revamping its weekend edition. The paper had an average daily circulation of 302,757 in March 2013, significantly more than The Independent, though that figure declined, and had dropped to 126,308 by 2024.
Politically, The i Paper intends to be nonpartisan; it has refused to endorse any political party in every general election since 2015, claiming to be the only national paper of the UK to do so.
