Midland Express

{{Short description|Newspaper in Victoria, Australia}}

{{Infobox newspaper

| name = Midland Express

| image = Midland_Express,_front_page,_March_31_2020.png

| caption = The front page of Midland Express
(31 March 2020), highlighting a report regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

| type = Weekly newspaper

| format = Compact

| owners = Elliott Midland Newspapers Pty Ltd

| editor = Angela Crawford

| foundation = {{start date and age|1979|10|30|df=yes}}

| headquarters = 3 Market Street, Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

| circulation = 22,000 {{cite web |last1=Delaney |first1=Brigid |title=Reading the small print: rural papers defy the odds in a sea of job losses |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/oct/07/reading-the-small-print-rural-papers-defy-the-odds-in-a-sea-of-job-losses |website=The Guardian Australia |publisher=The Guardian Australia |accessdate=3 June 2020 |date=8 October 2018}}

| website = [https://www.midlandexpress.com.au/ www.midlandexpress.com.au]

}}

The Midland Express is a free weekly newspaper circulating in the Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander regions of Victoria, Australia. The paper has a circulation of over 22,000 every week (out of a coverage population of 60,000).{{cite web |title=Midland Express |url=https://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/About-Council/Local-Directory/Community-Business-Directory/Midland-Express |publisher=Macedon Ranges Shire Council |accessdate=3 June 2020}} The paper's office remains at its original location in the town of Kyneton, it is published weekly on a Tuesday and has been since its inception in 1979.

History

The paper was originally founded as the Guardian Express with the first issue published October 30, 1979.{{cite web |title=Midland Express |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21990671?q&versionId=45295594 |website=Trove |publisher=National Library of Australia |accessdate=3 June 2020}} It was later merged with the Castlemaine Mail in order to become the Midland Express on April 3, 1984.{{cite web |title=Midland Express |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21990671?q&versionId=45295594 |website=Trove |publisher=National Library of Australia |accessdate=3 June 2020}} Both papers continue to exist concurrently today, the Midland Express is a free paper substituted by advertisements for local businesses as well as local and state government ads which is delivered directly to letterboxes and available for pick-up at locations such as supermarkets, whilst the Castlemaine Mail remains a priced paper ($1.50) only available for purchase within the township and surroundings of Castlemaine.

The paper's roots can be traced back to the Kyneton Guardian, founded in 1856.{{cite web |title=Family tree for the "Kyneton guardian" |url=http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/44052 |publisher=State Library of Victoria |accessdate=3 June 2020}}

Digitisation

Starting March 31, 2020, full issues of the Midland Express are available to read on their website as a response to potential delivery delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |publisher=Midland Express |title=We're here to help |date=31 March 2020 |page=1 |quote=From this week we will also be publishing a complete digital version of the Express online.}}

See also

References

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