The term ‘quality press’ is used to describe a very specific type of newspaper; it is sort of an old-fashioned term, but one that you should still be familiar with, because there is a difference between quality press and everything else. But in order to understand the term completely, we’ll have to dive in to the origins and etymology of the phrase.
The Origins of the Term
The term “quality press” came into use in the last few decades. It usually refers to some of the more serious newspapers around the world that report on world events and major news stories. Some of the quality press newspapers include The Times, The Guardian, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph.
Examples
When it comes to PR, quality press is important. In the past, if you issued a press release or had news to disseminate about your company, you definitely wanted to release it to the quality press. The more legitimate and respected a press organization is, the more your company’s reputation will be affected. But the papers that most consider the “quality press” these days are actually losing ground. The Guardian, The Times and the Financial Times have all suffered major losses in readership.
This term generally refers only to British newspapers, which is why they are the only ones listed. That’s because the term is rarely used outside of Great Britain. Although there are American newspapers, and publications throughout Europe that are considered to be quality, the only people who use the term “quality press” as specifically referring to a few select newspapers are the British. This term may go out of fashion soon, much like the newspaper term ‘broadsheet,’ which is rarely used today.
