The Sun (United Kingdom)

The Sun is a big news paper.

It started a long time ago in 1964. At first, it was a large paper. Then, it changed into a small paper in 1969. This small style is called a tabloid.

A man named Rupert Murdoch bought it. He helped the paper grow very large. It was the biggest paper in the UK for a long time. Now, it has special parts for different lands.

It prints news for many people every day.

The Sun is a famous British newspaper.

It first started in 1964. At that time, it was a broadsheet. A broadsheet is a large type of newspaper. In 1969, the paper changed its style. It became a tabloid. A tabloid is a smaller, more compact paper.

Rupert Murdoch bought the paper in 1969 for £800,000. He made many big changes. He hired Larry Lamb to be the first editor. Under Murdoch, the paper became very popular. It had the largest number of readers in the UK for many years.

Sometimes, the paper has been in trouble. It has faced many controversies. A controversy is a public disagreement or argument. One famous example is its news about the Hillsborough disaster.

Some people in Liverpool even asked others not to buy it.

The Sun also has special versions for different places. It prints editions for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. These are made in Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin. The paper is still a big part of news in the UK today.

The Sun is a well-known British tabloid newspaper.

It belongs to the News Group Newspapers division of News UK. This group is owned by News Corp, which is run by Lachlan Murdoch. For many years, it had the largest daily circulation in the United Kingdom. However, a free newspaper called Metro overtook it in March 2018. The paper is still a major part of British media today. It even has a Sunday version called The Sun on Sunday.

How the paper changed over time is quite interesting. It first began as a broadsheet in 1964. A broadsheet is a large-sized newspaper. It was launched to replace a failing paper called the Daily Herald. In 1969, the paper underwent a huge change. It was purchased and turned into a tabloid. A tabloid is a smaller and more compact newspaper style.

This change helped it reach many more people. It became known as one of the "red tops" because of its red header.

Rupert Murdoch played a very big role in its history. He bought the paper in 1969 for £800,000. He used his existing printing presses in London to help run it. Murdoch hired Larry Lamb to be the very first editor. Lamb recruited about 125 reporters to work for the new tabloid. The paper used many new ideas to attract readers. These included bold headlines and specific types of stories.

This helped the paper become very profitable quickly.

There are many specific facts about its reach and locations. The Sun has different editions for different parts of the UK. The Scottish Sun is printed in Glasgow. The Sun for Northern Ireland is made in Belfast. The Irish Sun is published in Dublin.

In March 2020, the average circulation for the main paper was 1.21 million. The Sun on Sunday had a circulation of 1,013,777. These numbers show how many people read the paper each day.

Sometimes, the newspaper has been involved in big arguments. These are often called controversies. One very famous and sad example is its coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Some people in the city of Liverpool even asked others not to buy it.

The paper has also been known for its bold political views. It famously supported Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 election. These moments show how much influence the paper has had.

The Sun is a major British tabloid newspaper.

It is published by News Group Newspapers, which is part of News UK. News UK is a subsidiary of News Corp, owned by Lachlan Murdoch. For a long time, The Sun held the largest daily newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom. However, a free newspaper called Metro overtook it in March 2018. Despite this change in ranking, The Sun remains a massive part of the British media landscape. It also includes a Sunday edition known as The Sun on Sunday.

The history of the paper began in 1964. It was originally launched as a broadsheet, which is a large-format newspaper. The International Publishing Corporation (IPC) created it to replace the Daily Herald. Market researcher Mark Abrams advised this move to attract "social radicals" to the existing "political radicals" readership. The paper launched with an advertising budget of £400,000. Its first print run reached 3.5 million copies due to novelty and curiosity. However, circulation soon dropped to 1.2 million, matching the old Daily Herald levels. By 1969, the paper was losing approximately £2 million every year.

In 1969, Rupert Murdoch purchased the newspaper for £800,000. He paid for the acquisition in instalments. Murdoch had previously bought the News of the World, a Sunday newspaper. He used the unused printing presses in his London building to support the paper. To avoid job losses and labor disputes, Murdoch made agreements with the print unions. He hired Larry Lamb as the first editor of the new version. Lamb recruited about 125 reporters, a staff much smaller than the Daily Mirror's. Murdoch immediately transformed the broadsheet into a tabloid. This smaller format was launched on 17 November 1969.

The tabloid era introduced several distinct features and styles. The Sun became known as a "red top" because of its red masthead. It often copied the layout of its rival, the Daily Mirror. One famous feature was the "Page 3" section, which featured topless models. The first such model appeared on 17 November 1970. This feature was controversial and faced criticism from feminists and conservatives. Some local councils even banned the paper from public libraries. For example, a council in Sowerby Bridge banned it due to sexual content. The newspaper fought this ban through a 16-month campaign.

Politically, the paper's stance shifted significantly over the decades. In its early years, The Sun nominally supported the Labour Party. It even advocated for Harold Wilson's Labour government in the 1970 general election. However, by February 1974, the paper began supporting the Conservative Party. It later became a strong supporter of Margaret Thatcher. In the 1979 general election, it ran the headline "VOTE TORY THIS TIME." This political influence was a key part of its identity. The paper's editorial direction changed deeply under editor Kelvin MacKenzie, who took over in 1981.

The Sun has also been defined by major historical events and controversies. During the Falklands War, the paper published bold and controversial headlines.

One such headline appeared regarding the sinking of the Belgrano. Perhaps most significantly, the paper was involved in the controversy surrounding the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

This event led to significant backlash in certain regions. In Liverpool, posters were even used to urge the public not to purchase the paper.

Today, the newspaper operates through various regional editions to reach different audiences. The Scottish Sun is published in Glasgow. The Sun for Northern Ireland is produced in Belfast. The Irish Sun is published in Dublin. There is no separate Welsh edition; readers in Wales receive the English edition. In March 2020, the average circulation for the daily paper was 1.21 million. The Sun on Sunday reached a circulation of 1,013,777. These figures illustrate the massive scale of the publication's reach across the United Kingdom.