Pro-independence daily paper the National to launch in Scotland

[danny la rouge]

It seems it sold all 60,000 copies on day one and has increased its print run to 100,000. http://www.theguardian.com/media/20...ble-print-newsquest-pro-independence-scottish

According to that article it's far outstripping the Herald and Scotsman, beating the Courier by a healthy margin, and may well be equalling or bettering the P&J.

It does still need to find its feet in terms of content and style (it can't keep running retrospectives on the referendum, for example), but there seems to be public goodwill behind it.

This is a pilot week, remember. That will mean changes in bedding in, but may also mean a drop in sales.

 

[redsquirrel]

There seems to have been a sales and circulation boost for all the Scottish papers from the referendum. This article in the Drum, from September reports a 111% year-on-year increase for the Sunday Herald. But the Scotsman (which supported No) reported a boost around the time of the referendum weekend, too.

I imagine the Scotsman's boost will be shorter lived, because it was general referendum interest boosting sales (and web page views), but the National is hoping that the pro independence supporters will be looking for a media outlet that reflects their views (there was no daily mainstream output doing so). Clearly the company thinks the just shy of 50,000 the Sunday Herald gets is a viable figure.

It remains to be seen whether the Nation a) attains that and b) sustains it.

Cheers for that background danny. Do you know to what extent it's using the staff of other Newsquest papers? I mean I guess they could use much of the same reporters as the Herald and then just have subs rewrite stories to suit their style, that would keep costs down while allowing Newquest to capture a large share of the market.

 

[Celyn]

It's currently done by using existing staff. If it goes beyond its pilot week, the editor (Richard something, I think), says they will take on more staff.

 

[weepiper]

They're going to keep running after the pilot was more successful than anticipated.
Some interesting circulation figures at the bottom of this article

http://www.theguardian.com/media/20...ional-newspaper-here-to-stay?CMP=share_btn_fb

 

[pogofish]

I finally found somewhere selling them last night. Copies seem to be thin on the ground here. Which is no great surprise when you consider that press distribution is pretty-much a sewn-up between two firms in Abberdeen/Shire.

 

[danny la rouge]

I finally found somewhere selling them last night. Copies seem to be thin on the ground here. Which is no great surprise when you consider that press distribution is pretty-much a sewn-up between two firms in Abberdeen/Shire.

What's the other firm? There's only really Menzies Distribution in Scotland.

 

[pogofish]

Can't remember offhand as Its years since I had anything to do with them. An ex worked for them for a while. Mainly delivering to small/rural shops - but yes, Menzies is the big player by some considerable margin, with all the main local media contracts, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was some friction.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

IIRC Smiths News/Connect Group will be the other main one in Scotland (as in the rest of the UK) there are a couple of independent ones but don't know what their penetration is in Scotland

 

[danny la rouge]

IIRC Smiths News/Connect Group will be the other main one in Scotland (as in the rest of the UK)

They have no distribution centres in Scotland. Even their Newcastle centre has no penetration in the Borders, where the Menzies Galashiels centre has the monopoly.

It's a cartel. Newspaper and magazine publishers decide on each wholesaler distribution area. Contracts are awarded individually for each area. Menzies has all the Scottish area distribution contracts, and has done for decades.

 

[pogofish]

Found a few copies in a Menzies supplied Supermarket on Friday night. On the bottom corner shelf, under the Scot-Ads, Exchange and Mart etc.

 

[danny la rouge]

Found a few copies in a Menzies supplied Supermarket on Friday night. On the bottom corner shelf, under the Scot-Ads, Exchange and Mart etc.

Did they have their tills set up for the barcode? I'm told supermarkets here had the National by Friday, but needed a supervisor to override the till every time one was sold as the system hadn't been set up for them.

I'm glad to see today's edition has a crossword.

 

[pogofish]

Yes they did.

 

[weepiper]

It was in a prominent position in Sainsbury's this morning.

 

[The Boy]

I'm glad to see today's edition has a crossword.

A newspaper without a crossword? Wish I'd voted no

 

[geminisnake]

A newspaper without a crossword? Wish I'd voted no

Crosswords cost money, they had to see if the paper was a goer before they bought crosswords

 

[danny la rouge]

Talking of crosswords, "midgie" is Satan. I've been staring at this one on and off today. Nothing. Not a thing.

 

[Celyn]

Found a few copies in a Menzies supplied Supermarket on Friday night. On the bottom corner shelf, under the Scot-Ads, Exchange and Mart etc.

So it was very nearly but not quite "on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard"?

 

[redsquirrel]

I'm glad to see today's edition has a crossword.

How's it rate?

 

[danny la rouge]

How's it rate?

I'm enjoying them. Not too easy.

Friday's was evil, though.

 

[pogofish]

Well, its finally made a visible position on the rack in the paper shop beside my work - And its nearly always sold out by 11am.

 

[Frankie Jack]

Got round to uploading digi issues to Google Drive.

 

[Frankie Jack]

Purely for checking Midgies Crossword solutions

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

looks like a good read, think I would read it regularly if I lived up there

 

[Frankie Jack]

looks like a good read, think I would read it regularly if I lived up there

That's why I upload it. A lot of people outside Scotland wanted to read it.

 

[pogofish]

Its finally made the stand in the smaller M&S here. God position too - right beside The Times!

 

[danny la rouge]

I thought the God position was after Andrew Marr.

 

[Quartz]

Its finally made the stand in the smaller M&S here. God position too - right beside The Times!

I didn't spot it yesterday in Sainsburys in Garthdee. Perhaps it had sold out?

 

[danny la rouge]

Disappointing showing for the National in these figures for July - Dec 2015.

 

[J Ed]

I know it's a bit late but this Scots edition of the paper is really cool

 

[danny la rouge]

I'm not a huge fan of their front pages. The photoshop infantilism is embarrassing. But that's a good one.