[5] Interviewed in July 1989 by The Glasgow Herald, chief executive Nick Shott said the new title was to be aimed at younger readers of The Guardian and The Independent, market research having suggested a potential readership existed there, but he also anticipated picking up interest from purchasers of the middle market titles.

Guardian and Manchester Evening News P.L.C., then without a national Sunday title, also became involved acquiring a 16.6% stake and gave the struggling company a substantial loan.

[1] Underfunding and the launch of the IoS in January 1990 were factors in its demise, as well as the lack of a daily equivalent to help spread production costs.

[2] Journalists Jonathan Freedland and Luke Harding of The Guardian, Ian Katz of Channel 4,[7] ITV News's political editor Robert Peston[8] and art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon all started their national careers on the title.

Other prominent journalists on the staff were Henry Porter, who edited the magazine, Donald Macintyre formerly of The Independent, feature editor Mick Brown, foreign correspondent David Blundy and Catherine Bennett.