Trading Statement

Trinity Mirror PLC
27 June 2002



                                                        Thursday, 27TH June 2002


                               TRINITY MIRROR PLC

                        PRE CLOSE PERIOD TRADING UPDATE

              26 week period 31st December 2001 to 30th June 2002


Trinity Mirror, the UK's largest newspaper publisher, is today issuing a trading
update ahead of the Company's interim results announcement on 31st July.


Progress on strategy

During the first six months of the year, the Group has continued to make
significant progress in the implementation of the strategies for its key
businesses and in the realisation of its targeted cost savings.

During the last six months' implementation of the regional newspaper division's
'from Biggest to Best' strategic programme, it has become clear that the
potential improvement opportunities are greater than first identified and can be
realised at a faster pace.

As announced in February, the Group will invest an incremental £20 million this
year (plus a reallocation of annual marketing spend, including the withdrawal
from bulk sales) in the integrated marketing strategy developed for the two
Mirror titles.  This strategy has been designed to increase, over time,
frequency of purchase by existing readers and to improve the titles' appeal to
young readers entering the tabloid market. Over the past three months the
foundations of the strategy have been successfully laid, including editorial
repositioning; a new branding campaign; and the use of price discounting, in a
controlled and planned manner, as a stimulus for occasional and infrequent
readers to purchase the newspaper more often. Early research on the product
changes and branding campaign are extremely positive and the improved
circulation performance resulting from the Daily Mirror cover price discounting
has met the Group's expectations.

In Scotland, the Daily Record and Sunday Mail's advertising improvement strategy
is delivering positive results, as indicated by its improving advertising
revenue performance over the past five months.

On 19th June, the Sunday Business Post (a small non-core regional business based
in Dublin) was sold for approximately Euro 10 million.  This business made an
operating loss of £0.2 million in 2001.



Advertising

There has been a clear difference in advertising market conditions for regional
newspapers in the South East and London (which has seen significant decline
throughout the period) and the rest of the United Kingdom (where market
conditions have been tough but considerably stronger than the South East).
Advertising revenue decline, year-on-year, across the regional newspapers
(excluding the three Metro titles and the Sunday Business Post) for the 26 week
period is expected to be 2.3%, with a decline of 11.6% in the South East/London
offset by growth of 1.7% across the rest of the division.  Recruitment
advertising revenue is estimated to have declined 5.1%, although the South East/
London fell 21.7% and the remaining regional businesses (excluding the Metro
titles and the Sunday Business Post) are estimated to grow by 2.8%.

The advertising revenue of the three Metro titles for the 26 weeks is expected
to increase by 7.9%, year-on-year.

Advertising conditions for the Group's three UK national titles have remained
extremely difficult with very limited visibility, resulting in an estimated
year-on-year revenue decline of 10.3% for the 26 week period.  However, May and
June have seen a significant improvement in advertising revenues (with an
estimated year-on-year increase of 0.4%) compared to the first four months of
the year. The Scottish national newspaper operations are expecting an
advertising revenue decline of only 2.0% for the 6 month period, primarily
reflecting the successful implementation of the business's advertising strategy
and a robust local advertising market.


Circulation

Circulation revenue of the Group's regional newspapers increased 0.7%, compared
to the same five month period in 2001, as a result of cover price increases
applied to certain titles.

During the first four months of the year the ABC sale (excluding sampling) of
the Daily Mirror declined 2.4% year-on-year.  In May, following the brand
relaunch and introduction of cover price discounting, the Daily Mirror's ABC
sale (excluding sampling) was only 0.5% down year-on-year.

During the first five months, the ABC sale (excluding sampling) of the Sunday
Mirror declined, year-on-year, by 2.5% and the Sunday People by 5.1% (with May's
year on year decline of 1.8% being its lowest rate of decline since 1999).

A long term plan based on intensive micro-marketing activity has been put in
place to improve the circulation performance of the two Scottish national
titles.  During April and May there has been a limited impact from cover price
discounting by the UK tabloid newspapers in Scotland.  Consequently, during the
first five months, the Daily Record's circulation volumes in Scotland declined
by 4.2% and the Sunday Mail declined 3.2%.  This trend has continued into June.


Outlook

As stated in the Chairman's AGM trading statement issued in May, the directors
believe it is prudent to plan on the current advertising conditions remaining
throughout most of the year.  However, our trading performance to date, the
continued successful implementation of the Group's strategic objectives and the
realisation of cost savings ahead of expectations provide considerable support
to the Group's financial prospects in 2002.  The group also continues to benefit
from the £13 million reduction in the level of investment in digital media
(compared to 2001) and the impact of the £17.5 million newsprint price decrease.
Consequently, the directors are confident of delivering a satisfactory
financial outcome for the year.

An interview with Philip Graf, Chief Executive, on Trinity Mirror's trading
update statement is available on Trinity Mirror's website - http://
www.trinity-mirror.co.uk/tradingstatement




Enquiries:

Trinity Mirror plc                                                 020 7293 3000
Philip Graf, Chief Executive
Margaret Ewing, Group Finance Director
Nick Fullagar, Director of Corporate Communications

Finsbury                                                           020 7251 3801
Rupert Younger
James Leviton




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