The Sunday Post
A Scottish Sunday newspaper published in Dundee by DC Thomson, combining news, human-interest reporting, short features, advice, entertainment and comics.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Sunday Post is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland, by the publishing group DC Thomson. Founded in 1914, it developed into one of Scotland's best-known Sunday titles and historically reached readers across Scotland, Northern Ireland, County Donegal and parts of Northern England. Its editorial mix has traditionally combined general news with human-interest stories, consumer and personal-finance advice, entertainment coverage, television reviews, travel and lifestyle material, short features and comic strips. The paper's identity has been associated with accessible, family-oriented journalism and a strong emphasis on reader participation. Regular features have included sentimental first-person-style storytelling in “My Week,” celebrity interviews in “The Honest Truth,” consumer advocacy in “Raw Deal,” medical advice in “The Doc Replies,” personal-finance coverage in “Your Money,” television criticism in “On The Box,” and a question-and-answer feature known as “The Queries Man.” The paper has also used reader-led features, including the former “Can You Do Me a Favour?” column, in which readers sought help locating objects or reconnecting with information and people. Comics have been an important part of the publication's popular appeal. Its Fun Section has carried Scottish comic strips including “Oor Wullie,” “The Broons,” “Wee Harry” and “Wor Nicky,” alongside a range of strips that appeared in earlier periods. The newspaper has also carried the legacy of distinctive recurring features such as the HON Man, a fictional or composite roving character whose name referred to “Holiday on Nothing” and who reported on people and attractions around Britain through photographs incorporating a cartoon representation. The Sunday Post reached an exceptional level of market penetration during the twentieth century. In 1969, its estimated readership was reported at 2,931,000, equivalent to more than 80 percent of Scotland's population aged 16 and over, and the paper was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for its per-capita readership penetration. Like many print newspapers, however, it later experienced sustained circulation decline. Reported circulation was approximately 700,000 in 1999 and had fallen to just under 143,000 in December 2016, with a reported year-on-year decline of 13.5 percent during 2016. DC Thomson has periodically refreshed the title's advertising, editorial packaging and supplementary content. In 2007, an advertising campaign used buses and the “Strip Sensation!” line, pairing a visual of the folded newspaper with the tagline “A thoroughly decent read.” In 2014, the publication reintroduced a weekly magazine supplement called IN10, covering entertainment, food, homes, gardens, travel and books, including contributions from the newspaper's Hollywood correspondent Ross King. The newspaper also took a position against Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum. The brand remains part of DC Thomson's newspaper portfolio and continues to operate as a Sunday publication. Available reference material gives conflicting information about the current editor: one account identifies Thomas Hawkins as current editor, while an editorial chronology lists Dave Lord from 2023 onward. That discrepancy requires verification against the publication's latest masthead or an authoritative corporate source.
History
The Sunday Post was established in 1914 and became a major Sunday newspaper associated with Dundee-based publisher DC Thomson. From its early development, the paper pursued a broad popular format rather than a narrowly specialized editorial proposition. Its pages brought together news, human-interest reporting, short features, advice, entertainment and comics, making the title suitable for family reading and reinforcing its role as a Sunday leisure publication. The newspaper's distribution extended well beyond Dundee. It built a substantial readership throughout Scotland, with circulation and readership also reaching Northern Ireland, County Donegal and parts of Northern England. During the high point of the British mass-circulation newspaper era, The Sunday Post achieved particularly strong penetration in Scotland. In 1969, its estimated readership of 2,931,000 was reported to exceed 80 percent of Scotland's population aged 16 and over. The paper was subsequently recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for having the highest per-capita readership penetration of any newspaper in the world. Its editorial character was supported by recurring columns and recognizable features. “My Week,” attributed to the generic character Francis Gay, presented sentimental stories and a short poem. “The Honest Truth” used a question-and-answer format for celebrity interviews, while “Raw Deal” addressed consumer complaints and problems. “The Doc Replies” provided medical advice, “Your Money” covered personal finance and “On The Box” reviewed television. The former “Can You Do Me a Favour?” column invited readers to seek help from other readers. Another long-running feature, the HON Man, used a cartoon representation and a reported composite or team-based identity to narrate journeys around Britain and visits to local attractions; the name referred to “Holiday on Nothing.” Comic strips became a defining component of the newspaper's Fun Section. The title has carried Scottish favorites including “Oor Wullie” and “The Broons,” as well as “Wee Harry” and “Wor Nicky.” Earlier periods included numerous additional strips, such as “Nosey Parker,” “Our Muddling Meddler,” “Nero and Zero,” “The Rollicking Romans,” “Silias Snatcher,” “The Truant Catcher,” “Wishbone Wuzzy,” “Austen and his Auto,” “Barnacle Bill,” “Funny Corner,” “Peter Pumpkin the Country Bumpkin,” “Natty Ned,” “Wee Jock Sparra” and “The Broons' Bairn.” As the newspaper market changed, The Sunday Post experienced the same long-term structural pressures affecting many print titles, including changing media consumption and declining print circulation. Circulation was reported at approximately 700,000 in 1999, but had dropped to just under 143,000 by December 2016. A 13.5 percent year-on-year decline was reported for 2016. Despite this contraction, the brand continued to use its established editorial identity while adjusting its promotional and supplementary products. In 2007, DC Thomson launched a prominent advertising drive, used primarily on buses. The creative treatment featured the exclamation “Strip Sensation!” beside an image of the folded newspaper displaying its masthead, together with the line “A thoroughly decent read.” In 2014, the newspaper reintroduced a weekly magazine supplement named IN10. The supplement expanded the product beyond core news and features, carrying material on entertainment, food, homes, gardens, travel and books, including Hollywood coverage from Ross King. The Sunday Post also participated in major Scottish public debate. During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, it backed a No vote. Editorial leadership has changed over time, with published information identifying David Pollington as editor in 2001, Donald Martin in 2010, Richard Prest in 2015 and Dave Lord from 2023. Another reference identifies Thomas Hawkins as the current editor, creating an unresolved discrepancy that should be checked against the latest official publication information. The newspaper remains an active DC Thomson title.
- 2016
Circulation falls below 143,000
[1]Circulation is reported at just under 143,000 in December, with a 13.5 percent year-on-year decline during the year.
- 2014
IN10 supplement reintroduced
[1]The weekly IN10 magazine supplement returns with entertainment, lifestyle, travel and book content.
- 2014
Referendum editorial position
[1]The newspaper supports a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum.
- 2007
Bus advertising campaign
[1]DC Thomson promotes the title with “Strip Sensation!” and “A thoroughly decent read” creative executions.
- 1999
Circulation remains near 700,000
[1]Reported circulation is approximately 700,000 as the newspaper enters a period of accelerating structural change in print media.
- 1969
Record readership penetration
[1]Estimated readership reaches 2,931,000, reported as more than 80 percent of Scotland's population aged 16 and over.
- 1914
The newspaper is founded
[1]The Sunday Post is established as a weekly Sunday newspaper published from Dundee, Scotland.
Products and positioning
An accessible, family-oriented Scottish Sunday newspaper combining regional and general news with human-interest journalism, advice, entertainment, lifestyle content and comics.
Weekly newspaper · 1914
The Sunday Post newspaper
The core Sunday publication combines general and regional news with human-interest stories, short features, consumer reporting, advice, personal finance, entertainment and television coverage. Its broad editorial mix and accessible tone have historically supported a mass Scottish readership, while distribution has also extended into Northern Ireland, County Donegal and parts of Northern England.
Magazine supplement · 2014
IN10
A weekly magazine supplement reintroduced in 2014. IN10 covers entertainment, food, homes, gardens, travel and books, broadening the Sunday Post package with lifestyle and culture content. It has also featured Hollywood reporting associated with Ross King.
Comics and family entertainment
Fun Section
The newspaper's comic and family-entertainment section has featured Scottish strips including Oor Wullie, The Broons, Wee Harry and Wor Nicky. A larger historical roster included several other strips that are no longer reported as current features.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Strip Sensation!
Scotland · United Kingdom
A DC Thomson advertising campaign used bus placements featuring a folded copy of the newspaper and the phrase “Strip Sensation!”, supported by the line “A thoroughly decent read.” The concept played on both the newspaper's comic-strip content and the act of opening or unfolding the paper.
Outcome. The available reference material records the campaign but does not provide measured commercial results.
Brand decisions
2014
Reintroduction of the IN10 supplementProduct launchBackground
The Sunday Post was operating in a period of long-term pressure on print newspaper circulation and sought to maintain the breadth and appeal of its Sunday package.
Action taken
DC Thomson reintroduced IN10 as a weekly magazine supplement covering entertainment, food, homes, gardens, travel and books.
Aftermath
The reference material confirms the supplement's return but does not provide circulation or financial results attributable to the decision.
2014
Editorial support for a No voteStrategyBackground
The Scottish independence referendum presented a major constitutional and political choice for the newspaper's principal Scottish market.
Action taken
The Sunday Post publicly backed a No vote in the referendum.
Aftermath
The available source records the newspaper's position but does not establish a measurable effect on its readership or business.
Recent events
- 2016
Reported circulation falls below 143,000[1]
Other
Reported circulation was just under 143,000 in December 2016, following a 13.5 percent year-on-year fall during 2016, illustrating the pressure on the newspaper's print business.
- 2014
IN10 magazine supplement returns to The Sunday Post[1]
Product launch
A weekly magazine supplement was reintroduced, covering entertainment, food, homes, gardens, travel and books, with Hollywood coverage associated with Ross King.
- 2014
The Sunday Post backs a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum[1]
Other
The newspaper supported remaining in the United Kingdom during the Scottish independence referendum campaign.
- 2007
The Sunday Post launches a bus advertising campaign[1]
Campaign
DC Thomson promoted the newspaper through advertising displayed primarily on buses. The campaign used the phrase “Strip Sensation!” alongside a folded newspaper and a “thoroughly decent read” message.
- 1969
The Sunday Post reaches exceptionally high readership penetration in Scotland[1]
Other
The newspaper's estimated readership was reported at 2,931,000, representing more than 80 percent of Scotland's population aged 16 and over. The figure contributed to its recognition for unusually high per-capita readership penetration.
Sources2 sources
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