| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner | Local World |
| Publisher | Trinity Mirror1 |
| Founded | 19601 |
Ceased publication | 30 November 20171 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Temple Way, Bristol |
| Circulation | 55,000 (December 2016)1 |
The Bristol Observer started out as the Kingswood and Keynsham Observer, a weekly paper, but at this time it was a paid for publication. In 1981 it became part of the Bristol Observer series and was distributed free.
It underwent changes in editorial format and style, including a trashy sensationalist incarnation edited by Peter J. O'Reilly for a few years in the early 2000s. It subsequently largely comprised a small selection of bland "repurposed" material from its sister Bristol Post, with Post editor Michael Norton also notionally overseeing the Observer.
In 2012, Local World acquired owner Northcliffe Media from Daily Mail and General Trust.2
In 2017 the Bristol Observer was quietly closed, with no warning or announcement to readers. Its final publication was dated 30 November.1
References
References
- Mayhew, Freddy (1 November 2017). "Bristol Observer newspaper closing as a result of 'changing reader habits', says Trinity Mirror". Press Gazette. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- "Daily Mail sells regional newspapers to Local World". BBC News. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2018.