The Guardian

Question 1

When was The Guardian founded?

Answer 1

1821

Question 2

What tradition does The Guardian have?

Answer 2

Liberal

Question 3

What does The Guardian aim to deliver?

Answer 3

“fearless, investigative journalism” and “quality, trustworthy reporting” which is free from “political and commercial influence”

Question 4

According to 2021 data from PAMCo, what are
the figures about
monthly readers?

Answer 4

3.2m monthly print and an 18.4m monthly digital readership

Question 5

How many readers does The Guardian
reach on average
around the world
per month?

Answer 5

113 million

Question 6

How are the 113M
readers split per continent?

Answer 6

47.4M - Europe
44M - North America
14.4M - Australasia
4.5M - Asia
1.4M - Africa
566K - South America

Question 7

How are male and female readers of The Guardian split?

Answer 7

10.2M Males
9.4M Females

Question 8

How many of The Guardian’s readers are over 35 compared to under 35?

Answer 8

13.3M Over 35
6.5M Under 35

Question 9

What does the phrase “Guardian reader” mean?

Answer 9

Describes someone who has a left-wing, liberal POV. (And reads the guardian..obviously.)

Question 10

How does The Guardian target its audience?

Answer 10

They draw attention to social injustice and “championing the voices of those less heard”

Question 11

What is the paper proud of?
(Hint: COVID-19)

Answer 11

COVID-19 investigations which exposed governmental and social failings

Question 12

What did OfCom find?

Answer 12

The paper was the “most trusted news brand in the UK”

Question 13

What is the “quality press?”

Answer 13

A group of national papers which focuses on hard news rather than the sensationalism of tabloid journalism

Question 14

Using the Uses and Gratifications
theory, name 4
aspects of The Guardian
that promotes this.

Answer 14

• Satisfies our desire to be informed
• Lifestyle section: appeals to personal identity.
• Comment section: people can debate and share their own opinions
• User-generated content and social interaction: personal relationships, readers can also develop sense of companionship

Question 15

Who is The Guardian operated by?

Answer 15

The Guardian Media Group (GMG)

Question 16

What is the parent company of the GMG?

Answer 16

Scott Trust Limited

Question 17

When was Scott Trust Limited created?

Answer 17

1936

Question 18

Who established the STL?

Answer 18

John Russell Scott

Question 19

Why was the STL created?

Answer 19

To avoid paying death duties which may have forced the newspaper to close.

Question 20

When was the STL dissolved?

Answer 20

1948

Question 21

What happened in 2008?

Answer 21

The trust was replaced by the limited company to respond effectively to the rapidly changing media.

Question 22

What does The Guardian rely on in order
to maintain its
editorial independence
and remain free from commercial bias?

Answer 22

Revenue from its global leadership, including the 1.5M people that supported the paper financially in 2020 through subscriptions.

Question 23

How much does a double spread advertisement cost in The Guardian?

Answer 23

£32,000, as the company claims it is better at “building brands”

Question 24

What is one of the unique selling points of The Guardian?

Answer 24

Its profits are invested back into journalism rather than distributed to shareholders.

Question 25

Which 2 types of display ads in The Guardian have high engagement rates?

Answer 25

• Double page (£32,000)
• Billboard at top of screen or mid-page (£46,000 per DAY)

Question 26

Analysis: They claim they are “free from commercial influence” - is this true?

Answer 26

No - they partner with companies to create ‘commercial content’ for them, and advertise double page spreads and billboards/mid-pages which are commercials.

Question 27

How much was The Guardian losing a day in 2012?
How did Scott Trust respond to this?

Answer 27

£100,000
Sold stock & shares of various publications.

Question 28

In the 2020/21 financial year, how much did GMG increase their revenue by?

Answer 28

0.9% - up to £225.5M, with a record growth in digital reader revenues.