Tabloid Press today

Tabloids are the best selling newspapers today. The Sun is the most popular,with an average daily circulation of around 3 million. However, that slipped under to 2.99 million in January 08. The owner, Rupert Murdoch ( who also owns Sky and The Times under the News International blanket!) ordered a price drop from 35p-20p to try and get figures up again. 

Apparently Murdoch dislikes the amount of coverage of celebrity in The Sun. Read this article 

Rebekah Wade, editor of the Sun, discusses her editorial control and relationship with the owner, Murdoch. 

The Mirror ( owned by Trinity Mirror) also slipped at this time to 1.49 million copies.

This is part of world wide trend, what the future for newspapers?

Compare these figures to Broadsheets, Guardian daily circulation of 410,000 but they got 25.9 million hits to their webpage during January 08 compared to the Sun's web hits which were a third of that of the Guardians.

Look a this article

According to Tunstall (1996)

tabloids lead the way and set the news agenda that other papers follow according to their house style.

The human interest agenda is led by a downmarket tabloid exclusive

Followed by mid market dailies

The more upmarket broadsheets report on 'what the tabloids say', but with a longer, more 'worthy' angle and analysis, relating to wider media issues.