Fiktiv UK - JPIMedia - The I

The i is a British newspaper published by JPIMedia, which also publishes The Independent. It is aimed at "readers and lapsed readers" of all ages and commuters with limited time, and was launched on 26 October 2010, costing 20 pence. The newspaper was originally owned by Johnston Press. The i came under the control of JPIMedia a day after Johnston Press filed for administration on 16 November 2018.

A press statement released on the website of The Independent on 19 October 2010 announced the launch of the i. Also in October 2010, Independent Print Limited launched an advertising campaign to promote the new publication. The first issue of the i went on sale for 20p on 26 October 2010.

Starting on 7 May 2011 a Saturday edition was published, with more pages and at the price of 30p. This increased to 40p in January 2014, with the weekday edition rising to 30p. In September 2016, the price was raised to 60p, with the weekday edition rising to 50p. At the start of September 2017, the price rose once again, to 60p for the weekday edition and 80p for the relaunched i weekend beginning later that month. The paper cited the rising cost of materials needed to print the paper and the increasingly difficult environment which print journalism finds itself in.

The i was named National Newspaper of the Year in 2015.

On 30 September 2017, a new, redesigned, version of the weekend edition of the i went on sale, costing 80p. This relaunch of the weekend paper saw circulation rise by around 30,000, to around 290,000 of the first edition of the redesigned paper being sold.

In December 2017, the owners of the i, Johnston Press, announced the newspaper was bringing in a monthly profit of around £1 million. They stated that this was the result of: "Johnston Press management’s strategy of investing in improved content under editor Olly Duff’s clear leadership, increased brand awareness, distribution, and advertiser solutions, while delivering efficiencies”. A February 2018 trading update from parent company Johnston Press stated that the paper held a 20% market share of the 'Quality' weekday market.

In November 2018, ownership of the i alongside the other assets of Johnston Press were transferred in a pre-packaged administration deal to JPIMedia, a company set up by the bondholders of Johnston Press, after several attempts to restructure the debt or sell the business were unsuccessful.

The i is tabloid-size and stapled, and the first issue contained 56 pages. The Friday edition of the paper, which contains the "Friday" section, has a slightly increased page count, at around 65. The weekend version of the paper is significantly larger than the weekday version, containing 87 pages. The i prides itself on having no supplements, something common in many other quality British newspapers, saying they want to give readers the best experience without supplements that "clog up" recycling bins. The newspaper contains "matrices" for news, business and sports—small paragraphs of information which are expanded upon in full articles further on in the paper. The title also includes a features section titled iQ, Arts and Business sections and a television guide.

The managing director of The Independent stated several days before the newspaper went into print that the publication is designed for people who do not have much time to read a newspaper. On 20 April 2011, editor Simon Kelner announced that a Saturday edition of the i would be published, starting from 7 May 2011 and costing 30 pence, 10 pence more than the weekday version. The paper is now 60p on weekdays and £1 on the weekend, running Monday to Saturday (although the Saturday edition is also sold on Sunday).

The paper now runs a subscription, whereby customers can buy pre-paid vouchers to exchange for their copy of the paper. The subscription can be either six months or a year long and can be chosen Monday to Friday or including Saturday. There is also a discounted student subscription that lasts for one academic year.

The i takes a political stance on the centre of the political spectrum, with many front-page headline articles being concerned with social issues and inequality - but it also claims to be politically balanced and to publish points of view from both left and right.

Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and former leader of the Liberal Democrats, a centrist party, is a fortnightly columnist for the i. His column usually features in the "My View" comment section of the paper.