NUJ welcomes purchase of Shetland Times by Highland News and Media
The NUJ has welcomed the purchase of the Shetland Times by Highland News and Media, guaranteeing the future of the 153 year-old newspaper.
The title, which is Shetland’s only print newspaper, had been owned by the same family for over 100 years, and was independently owned and printed in Shetland. It was put up for sale in April and faced potential imminent closure if a buyer couldn’t be found.
As recently as a decade ago the weekly title sold around 11,000 copies in a population which was just over double that. In recent years print sales declined to 3,400, with a year on year fall of around 9%. The island is also served by the Shetland News, which is online-only, BBC Radio Shetland, and by other journalists on the islands.
The Shetland Times was still printed locally at their offices in Gremista, although printing will now take place in the mainland of Scotland.
The case of the Shetland Times was raised by Nick McGowan-Lowe, National organiser for Scotland, at a lobbying meeting with MSPs at Holyrood yesterday as an example of the need for Scottish Public Interest Journalism Institute, which is currently looking for areas of potential funding. The Scottish government’s Public Interest Journalism Working Group in 2022 explored ideas around community ownership of news production, strategic investment of public sector advertising, and potential tax incentives for businesses who advertised with public interest news providers.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland, said:
“All newspaper publishers, whether in Lerwick, London, or Leeds have been facing significant challenges with declining circulation and difficulty with switching income streams from print to digital.
“However, it’s to the credit of the Shetland Times management that they have refused to compromise on their staffing or their journalism and so have seen year-on-year declines around half that of much larger newspaper groups who have slashed jobs and rehashed stories.
“We welcome the announcement that Highland News and Media has purchased the title, and the assurance given to staff that they do not intend to cut editorial staffing. During this process we have engaged with staff, the owners, and local politicians in making sure Shetland has a diverse media. We will now be speaking to the new owners, where we already have an active chapel, and seeking assurances on jobs and quality of journalism.
“In addition, this potential closure of a valuable public interest journalism news provider makes the need for a properly funded Scottish Public Interest Journalism Institute even more urgent.”