Angela Haggerty goes digital on her Newsquest sacking ‘without fear or favour’

Angela Haggerty has written in detail for Bella Caledonia about her sacking from Newsquest.

One tweet in support of Graham Spiers, disassociating himself from an apology to ‘Rangers Football Club’, was enough to see Haggerty red carded by the Glasgow based media group.

News of her sacking caused a storm on social media and other related websites. Although there was a lot of anger around the decision did produce one fundamental truth- newspapers are published for the approval of their advertisers. Without those full page adverts there would be no business.

While many uphold grand notions of press freedom and other ideals there is a commercial realism that is often lost. Advertisers are the bedrock of every commercial organisation, they back publishers that are reaching out to their target audience. A large motoring group is unlikely to advertise with a publisher that regularly argues for punitive green taxes with the income raised to be poured into cut price public transport.

Almost everyone in the UK knows the politics of every newspaper in the country. In Scotland the 2014 Independence referendum made things crystal clear.

With the exception of the Sunday Herald, which took a long time to declare it’s independence, every newspaper title was in the No camp.

Some may argue that they were cutting themselves off from 45% of the market- a younger, livelier audience but their Better Together policy sat comfortably with readers and advertisers. Those missing out went online to find views that echoed their own.

The pro-independence stance of the Sunday Herald wasn’t a decision of the heart, it was the realisation within Newsquest that there could be an audience for a pro-independence newspaper. Circulation boomed, The National was born and advertisers that wished to reach the 45% had a vehicle, sitting alongside the unionist Herald as the money rolled in to the publisher.

Reflecting on her sacking by Newsquest Haggerty writes: “The notion that the Herald can provide coverage “without fear or favour” has been called into question, and rightly so. I can have personal sympathy with Llewellin (editor Magnus), but the bigger picture here is far more important.

“The Herald threw two journalists under the bus whichever way you look at it, and that decision will have consequences both in terms of reader trust and what vested interests now think they may be able to get away with.

“The Herald now looks like it scares easily, and that is not a good image for a broadsheet newspaper. Somewhere along the line the big business publishers have become fearful and the new, independent outlets have become ballsy.”

It’s not difficult to make an argument for football being of greater importance than politics to many people in Scotland. The 180 degree turn on the liquidation of Rangers FC in 2012 is a perfect example of that.

Rather than read and mourn about the death of granny why not humour your audience? Granny is still alive, still going for her weekly shopping, enjoying a whisky now and then and a trip to the bingo. That’s what your audience want to read about, not the horrible circumstances of how she died of neglect in a hospital waiting room while doctors, nurses and family members raided the house helping themselves to anything of value.

It’s doubtful if many people reading this or Bella Caledonia have had newsprint on their fingers in recent years, there are many distinct audiences out there, people have choice where they consume their news just like where they chose to do their shopping or watch their football.

While Newsquest looks after their advertisers by employing those that will deliver to their target market so to the digital world delivers to the 45% who may now be the 55%.

The advertisers on this site have a good idea who is looking in, Google Analytics (30,406 viewers over Friday and Saturday, a little above average) provides that service. With that audience information advertisers on here know who they are engaging with. Without those pesky ads you may not have read about the Celtic u-17 side winning 3-1 in midweek.

Newsquest and The Herald have less detailed information about their audience but a broad understanding of who is buying.

When the emigration from print to digital is completed the advertisers will follow follow online. It’s a brutal business, largely without any sensitivity, but the bottom line is the bottom line.

CLICK HERE to read Angela Haggerty on Bella Caledonia.