I noticed via Twitter that Stewart Kirkpatrick, former Editor of the Scotsman website, is due to launch an online newspaper "within weeks" citing the lack of quality journalism as a primary motivating factor. The aim is seemingly to not merely respond to press releases each day but "tell the stories that the churning maelstrom of the old-fashioned newsroom never allowed."
I had the pleasure of being in the crowd when Stewart discussed the future of newspapers a few months ago and I am confident he 'gets it' and is not running a fools errand with this venture. Someone who is better placed than I to judge the potential success remarked to me that if anyone could pull this off, Stewart could.
So we'll see if a radical shake up of the thinning Scottish media market is on the cards.
I certainly hope so. The status quo is not an appealing option.
UPDATE: Stewart's announcement is here on Allmediascotland.com
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12 comments:
It'll be interesting to see how he funds this new site given that no newspaper has yet found a way of adequately funding online content. Ad revenues alone aren't enough and charging for access to content doesn't seem to have worked for the few papers that have tried it.
Very interesting news indeed and long overdue, I was recalling to a friend recently the relatively recent relaunch of the Sunday Herald pre-2007 which at the time appeared fresh, fair and robustly argued it's case on individual matters - it seems to have lost it's way somewhat but still seems to be light years ahead of the others, something like this in a daily would be very good indeed and I suspect, greatly welcomed.
Dare I say it, but this might also be the 'natural' home for the more well known (ahem jeff) bloggers to actually have columns.
Apple are apparently also about to launch a tablet that will challenge amazon's e-book reader and the idea is to take over from the MSM hardcopies.
Interesting times, onwards and upwards! ;-)
Yes sounds promising if he can make it pay. The Herald seems to be deteriotating to become a ScotsmanII.
PS Find out more about Stewart Kirkpatrick's plans here......
http://www.allmediascotland.com/blog/0/42/So,%20What%20is%20Killing%20Newspapers?
Wrong Link but it was associated with the story, jhere's the full details.
http://www.allmediascotland.com/blog/0/63/I%27m%20Launching%20a%20New%20Newspaper
Yep, Jeff, If I were you, especially with your imminent unemployment, I'd be angling for a column in this paper.
Wardog and Strathturret
I migrated to The Herald when The Scotsman went tabloid in size and nature. The Herald had a great chance to become Scotland's quality broadsheet paper (sorry Courier and P & J) but has retreated to its Glasgow Herald bunker. Recent example being its support for the ludicrous "Glasgow's being ripped off" campaign.
My New Year's Resolution is to stop buying The Herald, but where do I go?
Would love you to comment on Stewart's blog on http://www.allmediascotland.com - Register with an username (which appears alongside your comment) and a password, and off you go. Would be great to have you all feeding into the debate. Mike@allmediascotland.com
Very kind of you to volunteer me but given Stewart is looking for experts in whatever field they happen to be writing about I don't think I could qualify under any interpretation other than if the article was about accountancy or making a risotto. Even then it's a bit iffy on either score!
Mike,
thanks very much for the comment. I'd be on there now if I hadn't used up my dwindling post-work online time to check emails, look for a home/job in London, write a breakneck speed blog post and answer a few blog comments before shooting off to meet a friend.
Will hopefully get to register soon as it is a cracking website which I do browse around when I can.
Mike, as Stewart's a veteran of the Scotsman and former chair of Edinburgh University Labour Club is he the great new hope of unionism online?
Isn't the MSM pretty thoroughly cornered by unionists as it is without launching into cyberspace too?
This is something Stewart has been talking about doing for a long time, given that his blog is subtitled 'Sour Alba', I'm not expecting him to be particularly pro-Independence, however any coverage that is not completely enthralled by Labour as the majority of our DTP are is bound to be a good thing and worthy of support. Good luck Stewart.
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