Press & Policy

First published in the Courier

Perhaps in all this turmoil, I have missed it. I have not heard loud accolades and support for the media sector. Let me shout loudly that this sector is one of the most important across Scotland and the wider UK. It is the beating heart of our views – our issues. It provides outstanding leadership in every area.

What is clear is that newspapers such as the Courier provide an essential service to its readers – offering reliable, factual, information and news delivered by highly skilled reporters and editors. This is crucial in an era when misinformation can travel like wildfire, with the potential to be just as damaging to communities.

This is why we welcomed the Scottish Government clarification that the people working so hard each day to produce newspapers are also deemed to be essential workers like their peers in broadcast journalism.

Likewise, we applaud the initiatives by the Courier publisher DC Thomson, who have made it easier for all to have access to both print and digital editions. I hope people who don’t already have home delivery or who can’t go to a shop that has a newspaper daily takes advantage of this generous offer.

In times like these we need news we can trust more than ever. Let’s all “clap for the Courier” and the many great media leaders and staff who make certain that we all continue to be kept informed across Scotland.