The Shields Gazette

It’s published by Northeast Press Ltd (part of Johnston Press) from their South Shields office and printed on the same presses as the Sunderland Echo. Prior to the Johnston Press takeover in 1999, it had been part of Portsmouth & Sunderland Newspapers for seven years.

It was founded in 1849 as a weekly under the name the North and South Shields Gazette and Northumberland and Durham Advertiser, but started a so-called “Daily Telegraphic Edition” on the lifting of stamp duty in 1855; the weekly was discontinued at the end of 1863.

In 1860 it adopted the name North and South Shields Gazette and Daily Telegraph, amending the title slightly at the beginning of 1877 to become the North and South Shields Daily Gazette and Shipping Telegraph. In 1884 it dropped the reference to the two separate towns and became The Shields Daily Gazette and Shipping Telegraph; the word Daily was dropped in 1932. After a spell from the beginning of 1987 when it was simply The Gazette, it adopted its present title in July 1991.

It’s produced in tabloid format.

There are special features for each day it’s published:

• Monday: Gazette Goals
• Tuesday: Today
• Wednesday: Jobs/Tyne Out
• Thursday: Property
• Friday: Motors
• Saturday: Weekend

A sister freesheet, the South Tyne Star, ceased publication in late February 2011.

Apps are available for Android and iOS devices.