A compact newspaper is a
British term referring to a
broadsheet-quality newspaper printed in a
tabloid format. The term came into use in its current form when
The Independent began producing a smaller format edition for London's
commuters, designed to be easier to read on the
train/
tube/
bus. Readers from other parts of the country liked the new format, with the result that The Independent introduced it nationally. Other newspapers (
The Times and
The Scotsman) copied the format as The Independent increased sales. All three newspapers are now printed exclusively in compact format following trial periods during which both broadsheet and compact version were produced simultaneously.
See more at Wikipedia.org...