In Britain, the national newspapers have a dominating position. They are mainly produced in London (in the Docklands) and Manchester and are distributed throughout the country. .
The national daily newspapers appear six mornings a week from Monday to Saturday and have a circulation of about 14 million copies. Even more popular than the dailies are the Sunday newspapers such as the Observer (which, first published in 1791, is the oldest national Sunday newspaper in the world) or News of the World (the top-selling Sunday paper with a circulation of about 4.5 million copies). The national Sundays are a part of the British way of life. For many British, reading these newspapers on Sundays is a tradition. Often the Sunday papers are very thick and include supplements with articles on special topics such as travel or food. They have a circulation of about 16 million copies. .
The national press can traditionally be divided into quality papers and popular papers. .
The qualities provide and analyze national and international news and cover a great variety of topics with often additional background information. According to their format they are also called broadsheets. The content of these newspapers can be regarded as reliable and is presented in a formal, matter-of-fact style. Thus, the articles are often written by experts on the subject (if legal or financial affairs are concerned, for example). Due to its higher intellectual demand on readers these papers are read by well-educated people and those belonging to the élite. The quality papers include the Times ( first published in 1785 and therefore Britain's oldest daily national paper), the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times, the Independent and the Guardian. .
Popular newspapers are also called tabloids because of their small size, which makes them easier to hold and read. They are more interested in sensational news and entertainment.
