The news that The Scotsman will no longer be printed in Edinburgh is another blow to the once esteemed newspaper. More than 100 jobs are to go as the owners of the paper - Johnston Press - told staff they intended to move printing to Glasgow.
I first began reading The Scotsman more than two decades ago when I lived in Aberdeen. Looking at that time to move to the capital city, The Scotsman was the best way for me to keep in touch with what was happening in Edinburgh; job vacancies, places to live etc. At that time The Scotsman was a quality broadsheet newspaper and I was often ridiculed by ignorant Aberdonian colleagues that I was buying a 'snobs paper'. There were quality sports journalists such as Mike Aitken and Ian Wood, both of whom have influenced my style of writing over the years.
The Scotsman now is a tabloid paper and there's little doubt it has gone down market in recent years. Not so long ago the paper had presitgious offices in Edinburgh's North Bridge (pictured left) They left this magnificent building to head down Holyrood way. This latest move by its owners to save costs is typical of an industry that is struggling to cope with the ever expanding internet. People demand instant communication these days and through websites such as the BBC and SKY they can get it - usually for nothing (although News International who own SKY and The Sun and News of the World newspapers are considering introducing a charge for their on-line versions. How many people will be willing to pay for stories about Kate Price, Big Brother and Ant and Dec is debatable...)
The demise of The Scotsman is another sad chapter to add to an ever-changing society. Those who remain in the newspaper industry must be increasingly concerned about their futures. I wish them well...
3 comments:
Newspapers all over the U.S. are folding too. It's sad. I LIKE reading a newspaper rather than scrolling through the online versions. They call it progress, I'm not so sure.
Hope your week is a good one Mike.
Moving to Glasgow?
What a surprise!
They have been writing about nothing but their OF for years now, and journalism died there long ago when the smug Paisley boy became 'Editor in Chief!'
Why do these papers no longer attempt journalism? Tabloid approach can only go so far in a crowded market and journalism might make a difference - there would be no competition!
Yes, but who speaks the truth now? Now that they are being paid by the very people they are supposed to investigate... It is a sad fact that news, stations and papers, have all too often found themselves with a dwindling audience and have fallen to desparation for survival... a sad fate for all, newsmen and people in general.
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