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The Manchester Evening News is an evening provincial newspaper serving the Greater Manchester area. Founded on October 10, 1868 by Mitchell Henry, the newspaper has grown, to distribute more than 81,326 copies per day across the region and has become the United Kingdom's largest regional newspaper. Henry's decision to create the newspaper was part of providing a basis for his views whilst running as a political candidate. Shortly after the election, in which Henry's liberal left has suffered defeat, the newspaper was sold to John Edward Taylor, the son of the founder and owner of the Manchester Guardian (later The Guardian). Taylor brought his brother-in-law Peter Allen as a partner in the Evening News; after Taylor's death in 1907 the Guardian was sold to its editor C. P. Scott while the Evening News passed into the hands of the Allen family. Scott's Guardian bought the Evening News in the 1920s. From that time the two newspapers have always had a common owner – it is currently one of 62 newspapers owned by the Guardian Media Group.

Despite the 'evening' suffix, the newspaper began publication of a morning edition in November 2004, a controversial move which brought union members to the brink of strike action over new work rotas.

Misc.
In March 2005 the paper launched a cut down evening version of the paper titled MEN Lite which was distributed free to commuters within Manchester city centre. Due to low city centre sales of the 35p Evening News, the MEN Lite brand was dropped on May 2nd 2006 and was replaced with a free version of the Manchester Evening News bearing the City Edition badge.

Even though the MEN is given away free in the city centre, the newspaper still retails for 42p in the suburban shops and supermarkets. In December 2006, the paper also began free distribution at Manchester Airport and hospitals throughout Greater Manchester.