A Brief Flirtation with Daily Newspapers

Adam Tinworth
Adam Tinworth

I’ve been doing something for the last few weeks that I don’t normally do: I’ve been buying a daily newspaper. And here’s why:

[![Free Book with The Times](https://i2.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2009/08/IMG_0980-thumb-500x375-1379.jpg?resize=500%2C375)](https://i0.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2009/08/IMG_0980.jpg)
The Times has been giving away free Penguin paperbacks in selected outlets – I’ve been grabbing mine in Caffe Nero. And, frankly, 90p for a classic book is an absolute bargain. Today’s offering, *The Big Sleep*, is a book I’ve meant to get around to reading for *years*, and am really looking forward to getting into it. 
However, I realised this morning that I haven’t been buying a newspaper with a free book, I’ve been buying a dirt-cheap paperback with a free newspaper. And sometimes I just don’t bother to read the paper. *The Times* giveaway may have boosted their sales for a few weeks, but like the *E[vening Standard](http://www.onemanandhisblog.com/archives/2009/05/what_a_free_evening_standard_did_for_me.html)*[ give-away of a few months back](http://www.onemanandhisblog.com/archives/2009/05/what_a_free_evening_standard_did_for_me.html), all it has done is persuade me that I really don’t need to buy a daily newspaper. 
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Adam is a lecturer, trainer and writer. He's been a blogger for over 20 years, and a journalist for more than 30. He lectures on audience strategy and engagement at City, University of London.

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