Trinity Mirror said to unveil new weekday tabloid

Trinity Mirror, publisher of the Daily Mirror, will reportedly unveil a weekday tabloid called New Day this month.

People close to the plans told Sky News the new paper was expected to launch on 29 February and will be priced at 25p versus the Independent’s i newspaper which is priced at 40p.

New Day, whose release will coincide with Trinity Mirror’s annual results, will be published weekdays only and will target consumers with a mix of national, lifestyle and entertainment news.

It was also reported the paper would be focused on a female audience, although one source told Sky the Mirror was aiming for a “broader reach”.

Following the launch period, the cover price is expected to rise to more than that of the i, which was sold last week to Johnston Press in a £24m deal.

The news comes just five days after it emerged that ESI Media, the parent company of the Independent and Independent on Sunday, was closing the print editions of the newspapers and switching focus to its websites, sparking concerns about prospects for the industry.

Owner Evgeny Lebedev on Friday sent a letter to staff that confirmed the sale of the sister paper to Johnston Press, subject to Johnston Press shareholder approval, and that the group will cease to print the Independent and Independent on Sunday and begin "embracing an exclusively digital future".

Lebedev said: “The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital.

"This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.”

The newspaper, which was launched in 1986 with editor Andreas Whittam-Smith at the helm, will print its last daily title on March 26, with the last Independent on Sunday on 20 March.