{{Short description|Weekly newspaper in North Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Craven Herald & Pioneer | logo = Craven Herald masthead.jpg | logo_size = 300px | image = | caption = | type = Weekly newspaper | format = Broadsheet until 29 October 2009<br>Tabloid from 5 November 2009 | owners = Newsquest | publisher = Newsquest Bradford | editor = Nigel Burton | chief_editor = | associate_editor = | managing_editor = | news_editor = | campus_editor = | campus_chief = | opinion_editor = | photo_editor = | staff_writers = | founded = 1853 | political_position = | language = | ceased_publication = | headquarters = Skipton, North Yorkshire | circulation = 3,996 | circulation_date = 2023 | circulation_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/477 |title= Craven Herald & Pioneer |publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK) |date=23 February 2024 |access-date=2 March 2024}}</ref> | sister_newspapers = | ISSN = 0961-1908 | oclc = 751637778 | website = {{URL|cravenherald.co.uk}} }}

The '''''Craven Herald & Pioneer''''' is a weekly newspaper covering the Craven area of North Yorkshire as well as part of the Pendle area of Lancashire. Until 29 October 2009 it remained one of only two weekly papers in the United Kingdom that continued to have a front page consisting wholly of advertisements.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news | last = Wainwright | first = Martin | title = Local Heroes | newspaper = The Guardian | date = 3 March 2008 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/03/pressandpublishing.abcs | accessdate = 20 May 2009}}</ref> On 22 October 2009 it was announced that the edition on 29 October 2009 would be the last broadsheet edition with adverts on the front cover. From 5 November 2009 the format was changed to a tabloid size, or compact as the then-editor described it, with news on page one and the adverts moved to page two.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The time has arrived for a new Herald |first=Peter|last= Greenwood |newspaper=Craven Herald & Pioneer |date=22 October 2009|page = 3 |url=http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/4695576.The_time_has_arrived_for_a_new_Herald/?ref=mr|accessdate=23 October 2009 }}</ref>

==History== There have been several newspapers covering the Craven area. The ''Craven Herald'' was first published in 1853,<ref name="U3a">{{cite web |first=Ian |last=Lockwood |title= The Founding of the Craven Herald, 1850&ndash;1875 |url= http://www.settledistrictu3a.org.uk/nchtjournal/Journals/2006/CravenHerald/CravenHerald.html |publisher= University of the Third Age |date= 8 November 2005 |accessdate= 20 May 2009}}</ref> in Skipton, by Robert Tasker, a local printer. Originally a monthly publication, it ran until 1868 when Tasker became postmaster of Skipton and, as such, was debarred from publishing a newspaper.<ref name="U3a"/>

In 1865 the ''Craven Weekly Pioneer and General Advertiser for West Yorkshire and East Lancashire'' was launched.<ref name=":CH:">{{cite news|title=160 years since the first Craven Herald|url=http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/nostalgia/nostalgia_history/10896650.160_years_since_the_first_Craven_Herald/|accessdate=29 August 2017|work=Craven Herald|date=24 December 2013|language=en}}</ref> This was a paper of very liberal leanings being an enthusiastic supporter of William Ewart Gladstone.<ref name=":CH:" /> In response the local Conservatives bought Tasker's firm and in 1875 re-launched the ''Craven Herald''.<ref name=":CH:" />

Both papers continued to publish separately and both underwent name changes at various times. The ''Craven Herald'' changed its name to the ''Craven Herald and Wensleydale Standard'' in 1868 before reverting to the ''Craven Herald'' in 1922.<ref name="Kirkby">{{cite web |title=Newspapers |url=http://www.kirkbymalham.info/KMI/malhamdale/newspaper.html |publisher= KirkbyMalham.info|year= 2008 |accessdate= 20 May 2009}}</ref> Meanwhile the Pioneer became the ''West Yorkshire Pioneer and East Lancashire News'' in 1884 and the ''West Yorkshire Pioneer'' in 1934.<ref name="Kirkby"/> The two rivals merged in 1937 to form the ''Craven Herald & Pioneer''.<ref name="Kirkby"/>

The ''Craven Herald'' was an early user of photographs in the paper. The first example, of a society wedding, appeared in 1905.<ref name="U3a"/>

In 1987, financial pressures forced the owners of the paper to sell to Westminster Press, the publishers of the ''Bradford Telegraph and Argus''.<ref name=":CH:" /> Westminster Press itself was sold to Newsquest in 1996.<ref name="Newsquest">{{cite web|title= Newsquest: history|url= http://www.newsquest.co.uk/history/|publisher= Newsquest|year= 2009|accessdate= 20 May 2009|archive-date= 18 June 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090618095710/http://www.newsquest.co.uk/history/|url-status= dead}}</ref>

Until 1995 the paper was printed in Skipton<ref name="PioneerPress">{{cite web |title=About Pioneer Press |url= http://www.pioneerpress.co.uk/aboutus.html |publisher= Pioneer Press |year=2007 |accessdate= 20 May 2009 }}</ref> but after a Westminster Press decision to centralise printing, moved to Bradford,<ref name="U3a"/> although the editorial and advertising offices remain in Skipton.<ref name="Herald">{{cite web |title=Editorial Contacts |url=http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/contactus/contacteditorial/ |publisher= Craven Herald & Pioneer |year=2009 |accessdate=20 May 2009}}</ref>

In 2001 the paper broke with its tradition and suspended adverts on the front page for one edition to use a photograph to report the arrival of foot and mouth disease in Craven.<ref name="Lockwood">{{Cite news | title = Craven Herald editor to leave | newspaper = Craven Herald & Pioneer | date = 16 March 2007 | url = http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/search/1262530.Craven_Herald_editor_to_leave/ | accessdate = 20 May 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110724134156/http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/search/1262530.Craven_Herald_editor_to_leave/ | archive-date = 24 July 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

While it remained a broadsheet publication, the front page remained resolutely advertising although in 2008 changes were made to preview the main news story in a 12 column inch (3 inches by 4 columns) box on the front page.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Wainwright | first = Martin |title = The Northerner | newspaper = The Guardian | date = 7 August 2008 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/northerner/idx/0,,2292170,00.html | accessdate = 20 May 2009}}</ref>

==Current status== In the January – December 2013 ABC audit, the average net circulation per issue was 11,498.<ref name="ABC">{{cite web |title=Craven Herald & Pioneer |url=http://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/19030461.pdf |publisher=ABC |date=26 February 2014 |accessdate= 10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= ABC Standard Certificate of Circulation July - December 2010 |url= http://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/17024105.pdf |publisher= ABC |date=23 February 2011 |accessdate= 7 March 2011}}</ref> By the January to December 2016 season, this had dropped to 9,377 average weekly circulation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Craven Herald & Pioneer Combined Total Circulation Certificate 2017|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48176381.pdf|website=abc.org.uk|accessdate=29 August 2017|date=23 February 2017}}</ref> The present editor is Andrew Hitchon.<ref>{{cite news |title =Herald's new editor returns to his roots |date= 10 April 2014 |url=http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/11138125.Herald___s_new_editor_returns_to_his_roots/| accessdate= 10 April 2014}}</ref> Styling itself ''The Voice of the Dales since 1853''<ref name="U3a"/> it is now published every Thursday and carries some colour photographs on the inside. {{As of|2024|February}} the cover price is £1.40.

From 5 November 2009 the paper is printed in a tabloid format with news on the front page and the adverts formerly carried on page one moved to page two.

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/ - ''Craven Herald & Pioneer'' website

{{Gannett}} {{Borough of Pendle culture}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craven Herald and Pioneer}} Category:Newspapers published in Yorkshire Category:Newspapers published by Newsquest Category:Newspapers established in 1853 Category:Mass media in the Borough of Pendle Category:1853 establishments in England Category:Craven, Yorkshire