Mediaforce Newspapers

Mediaforce (operating as Formpress Publishing Limited/Iconic Media in Ireland) is the single largest regional newspaper group in Ireland. Mediaforce own and operate 22 paid-for titles owned in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As of December 2022, they own and operate 15 newspapers in the Republic of Ireland. The group also owns 7 local free newspapers and operates 13 locally-targeted news websites associated with print titles.

While individually each title reaches a relatively small local audience Mediaforce local newspapers are included due to the significant scale of their combined reach. Within the Irish electoral system of Proportional Representation by single transferable vote (PR-STV) local politics play a significant role in elections, with seats won by small margins. Local issues and campaigns can have a considerable impact on the outcome of national and EU elections in Ireland.

Amalgamation:

In the 1990s and early 2000s Irish local newspapers became attractive to international, particularly UK, investors with a number of takeovers and mergers between Irish and UK publishers occurring during this time.

The newspapers in the group all focus on local news for their area including news, politics, business, sport and local events. Most of the newspapers in the group maintain offices in the locality they focus on and individual editors. However, a number of titles’ operations have been merged or operational activities centralised. Mediaforce Ireland have amalgamated and streamlined the digital presence for individual titles creating standardised format and branding under broader localities, mainly counties - for example tipperarylive.ie operates as the online presence for two publications, The Nationalist and Tipperary Star.

The parent company, Media Concierge (Holdings) Limited is based in the UK and is wholly owned by the Denmark family. Mediaforce (London) Ltd was established by Malcolm Denmark in 1985 to represent media outlets to advertising agencies which remains a substantial element of Mediaforce’s business. The move into direct ownership of media outlets came in April 2014 when Iconic Newspapers Limited, a Mediaforce subsidiary, acquired the 14 Irish titles of the Johnston Press Group (Scotland) for €8.7m. Johnston Press had spent more than €200m building up a stable of Irish titles in the 2000s but the value of those assets collapsed in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis. More recently Mediaforce Ireland went on to acquire a number of additional Irish regional media groups and their titles including River Media Group (2018) Midland Tribune (2019), Mayo News (2023)

Advertising & Publications:

In its 2019 assessment of Formpress Publishing’s proposed acquisition of The Midland Tribune newspapers, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) considered the implications of Mediaforce’s role as “a conduit for advertising agencies to channel national advertising spend to local/regional newspaper and digital newspaper titles in the State”. In 2004 the Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland had appointed Mediaforce as the sole national advertising agent for its member publications. Although the CCPC found that the bulk of local press advertising revenues came from local businesses, it nonetheless concluded that 10-20% of advertising revenues came from national advertisers and advertising agencies and thus were mediated through Mediaforce Ireland. Given this potential for market dominance, the CCPC expressed concern that:

“Mediaforce occupies a very strong position in the provision of the service of channelling national advertising to local/regional newspapers and digital newspaper titles in the State and that Mediaforce group owns and operates local/regional newspapers and websites, the Commission is concerned that Mediaforce will have the ability and incentive to foreclose its local/regional newspaper competitors”.

In response, Mediaforce and Formpress gave commitments to the CCPC to direct advertising business from advertisers and advertising agencies to local/regional newspapers and digital newspapers on a “strictly fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory basis and to apply equivalent conditions in equivalent circumstances to all Formpress Titles and Non-Formpress Titles”. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CPCC) considered these proposals “appropriate and effective” means of addressing the Commission’s competition concerns. However, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) criticised this outcome and have called for more rigorous scrutiny of Mediaforce acquisitions and business operations in Ireland by the Government and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CPCC).

Print Publications Foundation dates (where available):

The Nationalist (Tipperary) - 1890

County Derry Post (Missing data)

Derry News - 2001

Donegal Democrat - 1919

Donegal Post - 2006

Dundalk Democrat - 1849

Inish Times - 1999

Kilkenny People - 1893

Leinster Express - 1831

Leinster Leader - 1880

Leitrim Observer - 1904

Limerick Leader - 1889

Longford Leader - 1897

Mayo News - 1892

Midland Tribune - 1881

Tipperary Star - 1909

Tullamore Tribune - 1978

Local news websites:

Carlow Live

Clare Live

Derry Now (Operated by: Derry News)

Donegal Live (Operated by: Donegal Democrat, Inish Times, Donegal Post & Donegal People’s Press)

Éire Beo

Inish Live (Operated by: Inish Times)

Ireland Live

Kildare Live (Operated by: Leinster Leader)

Kildare Now (Operated by: Leinster Leader)

Kilkenny Live (Operated by: Kilkenny People)

Laois Live (Operated by: Leinster Express)

Leitrim Live (Operated by: Leitrim Observer)

Letterkenny Live

Limerick Live (Operated by: Limerick Leader)

Longford Live (Operated by: Longford Leader)

Louth Live (Operated by: Dundalk Democrat)

Mayo Live (Operated by: Mayo News)

Nenagh Live (Operated by: The Nationalist & Tipperary Star)

Offaly Live (Operated by: Offaly Express, Midland Tribune & Tullamore Tribune)

Tipperary Live (Operated by: The Nationalist & Tipperary Star)

Waterford Live