An independence supporting tabloid is set to be launched by Newsquest, owners of the Herald and Times group, on Monday.
The idea has been hatched on the back of a surge in circulation for the Sunday Herald following it’s decision to back independence in contrast to it’s stablemates The Herald and Evening Times.
Sales of the Sunday Herald has sunk to under 30,000 this year but as the only publication to back independence sales of over 50,000 copies were recorded during August and September with many people unable to buy a copy.
While the paper will carry a strong pro-independence line the sport content is likely to be made up of a combination of copy from the Herald, Evening Times and Press Association.
The wisdom of launching a new newspaper in the current climate is bound to raise many questions with most newspaper groups trying to find a way of making a profit from digital content.
With The Metro providing most people with a fix of news, sport, gossip and entertainment the market for paid for newspapers in Scotland contracts at around 10% per year.
Almost a decade ago the Daily Record group launched Record PM in Glasgow and Edinburgh which lasted less than a year confusing readers into wondering if they were looking at an updated version of the morning edition or an early edition of the following days paper.
With advertisers flocking online and instant news and sport available from various sources the new look paper, likely to the called The National will have a job on it’s hands beyond the initial curiosity of being a pro-independence publication.
The paper will run for a five day trial period costing 50p and consisting of 32 pages.
