{{Short description|Australian newspaper publisher}} thumb|220x220px|Masthead for the ''Leader'' newspapers The '''Leader Community Newspaper''' group publishes 20 digital titles covering metropolitan Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.
The group was downsized in 2016 and in 2020. Prior to this, it published 33 weekly print titles which were delivered to over 1.4 million homes.<ref name="NewsCorp2016">{{cite web |title=Leader |url=http://www.newscorpaustralia.com/brand/leader |website=News Corporation Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625085449/http://www.newscorpaustralia.com/brand/leader |archive-date=25 June 2016}}</ref> In early 2016, it had digital unique audience of 569,000 each month.<ref name="NewsCorp2016"/>
== History ==
In the early 1850s George Mott arrived in the Colony of Victoria and began work as a journalist with the ''Melbourne Argus''.
In 1854 he started publishing newspapers in the Victorian goldfields near Beechworth and Chiltern. George Mott's two sons commenced publishing newspapers in Albury and one brother's branch of the family until recently (2005) published ''The Border Mail'' in that town.
The other brother, Decimus Mott, left the Murray area in 1924 and, with his sons, took over the established ''Northcote and Preston Leader'' (first published in 1888). From this paper, the Leader Community Newspaper group grew into its present stable of 33 separate mastheads.
In 1986 the group was sold to The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd. With the acquisition of The Herald and Weekly Times by News Corporation later that same year, the Leader Newspaper group became a part of News Limited Community Newspapers with a total of 95 publications throughout Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Tasmania.
In 2016, the group ceased producing seven newspapers.<ref name="Mumbrella2016">{{cite news |last1=Ward |first1=Miranda |title=News Corp to close seven local Victorian newspapers |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/news-corp-close-seven-local-victorian-newspapers-371874 |access-date=28 January 2021 |work=Mumbrella |date=6 June 2016}}</ref> In April 2020, News Corporation announced that it would only be producing digital editions of newspapers, which required a subscription, from 6 April with printing suspended due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.<ref name="NewsCorpMarch">{{cite press release |title=News Corp Australia to suspend community print titles |url=https://www.newscorpaustralia.com/news-corp-australia-to-suspend-community-print-titles/ |website=News Corp Australia |date=31 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Meade|first=Amanda|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/01/news-corp-to-suspend-print-editions-of-60-local-newspapers-as-advertising-revenue-slumps|title=News Corp to suspend print editions of 60 local newspapers as advertising revenue slumps|date=2020-04-01|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-01|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In May 2020, News Corporation announced that it would cease producing seven newspapers even in digital editions from 29 June.<ref name="NewsCorpMay">{{cite press release |title=News Corp Australia announces portfolio changes |url=https://www.newscorpaustralia.com/news-corp-australia-announces-portfolio-changes/ |website=News Corp Australia |access-date=28 January 2021 |date=27 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Vivienne |title=News Corp closes over 100 print papers, with 14 titles to disappear completely |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/news-corp-closes-over-100-print-papers-with-14-titles-to-disappear-completely-629436 |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=Mumbrella|date=28 May 2020}}</ref>
== Publications == === Inner East === * ''Progress Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020">{{cite news |title=News Corp cuts: Will your local newspaper be affected? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-28/news-corp-cuts-is-your-local-paper-affected/12295320 |access-date=28 January 2021 |work=ABC News |date=28 May 2020}}</ref> * ''Stonnington Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== Inner South === * ''Bayside Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Caulfield Glen Eira/Port Phillip Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Mordialloc Chelsea Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Moorabbin Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== East === * ''Heidelberg Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Manningham Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Monash Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Whitehorse Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== North === * ''Diamond Valley Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Melbourne Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Northcote Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Preston Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Whittlesea Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== North West === * ''Northern Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * {{Anchor|Essendon Gazette}}''Moonee Valley Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> (formerly the ''Essendon Gazette''<ref>{{Cite journal| title = Melbourne's Leader re-brands| journal = Australian Newspaper History Group Newsletter | issue = 13 | page = 6| publisher = University of Queensland | date = July 2001 | url = http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:11353/anhg13.pdf | issn = 1443-4962 | access-date = 12 July 2011}}</ref>) * ''Moreland Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader'' (ceased publication June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== Outer East === * ''Free Press Leader'' (last edition 29 June 2016)<ref name="Mumbrella2016"/> * ''Knox Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/> * ''Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Maroondah Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== South East === * ''Berwick Leader'' (last edition 28 June 2016)<ref name="Mumbrella2016"/> * ''Cranbourne Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Greater Dandenong Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Frankston Standard Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> * ''Mornington Peninsula Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/><ref name="ABC2020"/>
=== West === * ''Brimbank Leader'' (last edition 28 June 2016)<ref name="Mumbrella2016"/> * ''Hobsons Bay Leader'' (last edition 28 June 2016)<ref name="Mumbrella2016"/> * ''Maribyrnong Leader'' (Digital only April 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMarch"/> * ''Melton Leader'' (last edition 28 June 2016)<ref name="Mumbrella2016"/> * ''Wyndham Leader'' (Digital from June 2020)<ref name="NewsCorpMay"/><ref name="ABC2020"/> (previously reported last edition 28 June 2016)<ref name="Mumbrella2016"/>
==See also== * List of newspapers in Australia
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.leadernews.com.au Leader Community Newspapers website] <!--* Digitised [http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/titles?state=Victoria ''Victorian Newspapers''] from the National Library of Australia--><!--this URL does not appear to go anywhere useful--> * Digitised [https://web.archive.org/web/20141215053922/http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/node/6104 ''World War I Victorian newspapers''] from the State Library of Victoria
{{News Corp Australia}}
Category:Newspapers published in Melbourne Category:Free newspapers