In a message posted on the magazine's website, David Hepworth informed readers that The Word's August issue will be its last, citing changes in the media and the music business that "have made it more difficult for a small independent magazine to survive and provide its staff with a living".

The magazine's website will continue to run as a point of contact for the foreseeable future.

Hepworth's message on behalf of the magazine can be read in full below:

"We ...