Newspapers in the UK

The UK has a vigorous and varied newspaper market. National daily titles include The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, the Daily Mirror and The Sun. Sunday editions, often with their own titles such as The Observer or the Mail on Sunday, are read in large numbers. Local and regional papers cover most parts of the country.

Further reading: an editorial guide on this topic opens in a new window for additional context.

British newspapers are not required to be politically impartial; most have well-known editorial leanings. Press standards are overseen by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) for most titles and by Impress for a smaller group; the regulator Ofcom does not cover newspapers.

You may be asked whether UK newspapers must be politically impartial (they do not), or which body regulates broadcasting but not newspapers (Ofcom).

Test yourself on this topic

These questions from the official-format question bank cover the same material. Tap any question to see the correct answer and a short explanation.

1. The UK has a free press
2. Sometimes even radio, television, and newspapers try to fool people with fake stories and jokes
3. In the Old times The House of Lords was more powerful than The House of Commons
4. Pressure groups and lobby groups are organisations which try to influence government policy
5. The names or photographs of young people found guilty of a crime can be published in newspapers or used by the media.
6. What did Emmeline Pankhurst fight for?

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