Sun on Sunday Launched: Media and Readers Comment on 'Tame' Paper

The first edition of The Sun on Sunday was launched by media czar, Rupert Murdoch, on Saturday night. Murdoch visited Broxbourne, Hertfordshire to see the first edition roll out. The newspaper was successfully launched within eight days of its official announcement.

The paper is to replace the "News of the World" after the phone-hacking scandal led to its closure.

"I will be very happy at anything (circulation) substantially over two million!" Murdoch tweeted.

The Sun is priced at 50p to gain a competitive advantage and is basically targetting family-oriented readers, according to the Huffington Post . Almost 3 million copies of the first edition were rolled out on Saturday night.

"News International closed our sister paper the News of the World over the phone hacking scandal. Since then some of our own journalists have been arrested, though not charged, over allegations of payments to public officials for stories. We believe those individuals are innocent until proven guilty. It has been a sobering experience for our entire industry. But it is vital to remember that The Sun has been responsible for some truly outstanding, award-winning investigative and campaigning public interest journalism. ...Our journalists must abide by the Press Complaints Commission's Editors' Code, the industry standard for ethical behaviour, and the News Corporation Standards of Business Conduct. We will hold our journalists to the standards we expect of them. After all, a newspaper which holds the powerful to account must do the same with itself," The Sun was quoted as saying by The Huffington Post.

The Guardian described the newspaper as "fearless, outspoken, mischievous and fun".

However, not everyone was altogether very happy.

"It feels very tame," Daily Telegraph media writer Neil Midgley told BBC television.

"An altogether gentler, but also less exciting read than the News of the World," another BBC writer was quoted as saying by The Huffington Post.

The front page of the first Sun on Sunday edition has an exclusive interview with "Britain's Got Talent" judge Amanda Holden, titled "My heart stopped for 40 seconds". The editorial reads "A new Sun rises today". There is a column on Gary Oldman, who is nominated for the Oscars, talking about the big night. There are columns from other celebs, like Katie Price, Toby Young, Gorden Smart, Colin Robertson and various other exciting pieces.

Twitter is busy with mixed reviews on The Sun on Sunday...

@magic828

"Morning from Nick. So the much hyped 'Sun' on Sunday is launched today, will you be 1 of the 2 million expected?"

Tom Butterworth@VagabondJuggle

"in 15 minutes the sun on Sunday is launched, can we please take 15 minutes to weep for decent journalism?"

Plaid Rupert Murdoch @ Plaid_ Murdoch

"Sun on Sunday has launched! Hoping this one turns out better than the last endeavor."

Chris Wallace@CJWallace91

"The Sun has an 'exclusive' on the new Sun on Sunday being launched. Investigative journalism at its finest."

John Prescott @johnprescott

"Deciding to avoid the Sun on Sunday. Sticking with good old Andrex."

Purple Squid @PurpleSquidCopy

"Apparently the Sunday Sun has Amanda Holden on the front page & a column by Katie Price. Just in case you weren't boycotting out of principle."

Martin Saunders @martinsaunders

"If you buy the Sun on Sunday today, then Murdoch has won."

The Sun is going through a very challenging period as 10 of their journalists have been arrested and investigations are being conducted in to Murdoch's media empire. The new Sunday edition has apparently targeted a reduction in "sting" journalism and salacious news, as compared to the "News of the World". The newspaper is expected to focus more on football and fashion and less on sex and scandals.

So... just how well will Murdoch's new business initiative do? That remains to be seen. The Sun has a very definite stance and philosophy... something that has earned it both loyal readers and fiercely critical opponents. Will the Sun on Sunday go down similar paths eventually or will all the talk about it being a cleaner and more journalistic paper restore some degree of the brand's tattered reputaion?