Daily Courant

The Daily Courant was the first regular daily newspaper to be published in the United Kingdom.

It was first published on 11 March 1702 by Edward Mallet from rooms above the White Hart pub in Fleet Street which he described as being: "against the Ditch at Fleet Bridge". ^*

Description

The paper consisted of a single page with two columns. Mallet advertised that he intended to publish only foreign news, and claimed that he would not take upon himself to add any comments of his own, supposing other people to have "sense enough to make reflections for themselves." ^*

Change of owner

Mallet soon sold the paper to Samuel Buckley, who moved it to premises in the area of Little Britain, near St Bartholomew's Hospital, known as "the sign of the Dolphin". Buckley later became the printer of The Spectator.

Eventual fate

The Daily Courant was merged with the Daily Gazetteer in 1735 .

Dispute

There is some dispute as to the Courant being the first publication of a daily newspaper. The Norwich Post is claimed to have been published in 1701. ^*

References

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