Newsbrands Scotland December newsletter
News about Scottish news publishing
BBC part of “headwinds” facing news publishers, says Ofcom review
Ofcom’s annual review of the BBC has for the first time recognised that the state broadcaster’s expansion of online local news is part of the “headwinds” facing commercial news publishers.
Scottish news publishers have long argued that the BBC’s online output has a significant impact on their abilities to build digital subscriptions, a view not supported in previous Ofcom examinations of the BBC.
But the latest review acknowledges the potential for the problem to worsen and makes recommendations to safeguard independent commercial news provision, including the expansion or improvement of the Local News Partnership and Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It also supports the establishment of a Public News Institute to help support public interest news, for which Newsbrands Scotland and others have been lobbying the Scottish Government, so far to little avail.
The review observed: “Since the BBC expanded its output in this area in 2023, its local page views have increased, while viewing of commercial online news (both local and non-local) have declined.
“Looking ahead, we recognise that increased BBC online local news forms part of the headwinds facing local publishers and that there may be some local areas where BBC viewing is displacing commercial viewing.
“It is also possible that future BBC changes may well have a different impact on commercial publishers, and so may require further careful consideration by the BBC and Ofcom.”
Newsbrands Scotland director John McLellan said: “This is a welcome, if somewhat overdue, recognition of the impact we believe the BBC has on independent news providers and the means to address the situation are available to both the UK and Scottish governments.
“But the BBC need not wait for instruction, and can commit to doing more with the public money at its disposal to preserve the network of trusted independent news providers across the UK.”
Read the Ofcom report here.
Lords committee recommends tax breaks for hiring local reporters
The UK government could do more to support independent news publishing, according to a House of Lords report, including tax breaks for hiring local reporters, journalist training schemes and an expanded Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The recommendations are contained in a new report, The Future of News, published by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, which warns of the possibility of the network of UK news providers “fracturing irreparably along social, regional and economic lines within the next 5–10 years.”
The Committee noted that although the “gloomiest predictions” of the news industry’s demise over the last 15 years had not materialised, there was a real danger that, “the period of having informed citizens with a shared understanding of facts is not inevitable and may not endure.”
Newsbrands Scotland director John McLellan said: “The report is extremely timely and the recommendations echo those from Ofcom, so it can only be hoped that the UK Government listens and acts appropriately and quickly.
Read the full report here.
Lords call for action to see off creative copyright theft by artificial intelligence
Senior parliamentarians and leading creatives have raised significant concerns about the theft of copyright on a mass scale by generative artificial intelligence (GAI) firms.
Dozens of organisations and individuals have voiced their support for amendments tabled by Baroness Kidron (pictured below) to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which would make UK copyright law enforceable in the age of GAI.
These amendments would make the UK’s existing copyright framework enforceable, empowering creative industries, media organisations, and individual creators to decide whether their copyrighted work can be used to train GAI models.
They would also enable creators to negotiate for fair terms when licencing their content. By fostering a dynamic licencing market for creative content in GAI development, these measures would ensure that both the creative and tech sectors can flourish together.
A diverse range of stakeholders from across the creative industries have come together, including global best-selling author, and founder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Kate Mosse.
She said: “As a writer, I want to engage with AI, and I do engage with AI. But we are looking for the F word – fairness. Copyright exists. Intellectual property exists. But the law is not being kept and there is a deliberate blurring from tech firms.”
Baroness Kidron emphasised the urgent need for robust protections for creators. “Failing to pay for creative work is hollowing out our creative industries and preventing the next generation from contemplating a creative life,” she said.
“This is an emergency, it’s not time for a review, or putting the onus on rightsholders to opt-out. It is time to enforce the rule of existing UK law and protect one of our most valuable industries.”
Read the full story here.
Major upgrade planned for News publishers’ public notice portal
The local news media sector’s Public Notice Portal will undergo a second major phase of development with new funding from the Google News Initiative to deepen public engagement with public notices.
Work has already begun on the new services which will see a fully searchable archive added to the portal and the creation of consultation functions to help public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively.
The development, which will take place over the next 18 months, will be funded by a new six figure grant from the Google News Initiative and continuing support from publishers. The public can continue to access the service free of charge.
The PNP has attracted more than five million views since launch with nearly 23,000 registered users signed up for alerts. Public polling from March shows that local news media in print and digital (41 per cent) is the number one platform used by the UK public to view public notices, ahead of council websites (29 per cent), social media (28 per cent) and printed mailouts (26 per cent).
The PNP is an online database for all public notices which appear in printed local newspapers, harnessing local news media’s massive online audiences – 42 million people every month in print and digital – to increase engagement with public notices.
Read the full story here.
Scottish Sun in campaign to give life-changing break to disadvantaged kids
The Scottish Sun has launched its Sunta Cause festive campaign, working with the Edinburgh-based charity HopScotch which takes more than 400 kids from challenging or disadvantaged backgrounds on a life-changing holiday each year.
Some of the youngsters have caring responsibilities, some come from poverty and others from families affected by domestic abuse, and for many, a HopScotch holiday in their stunning Western Highlands is their first break away.
As well as a week-long series of features in the paper and online, the Scottish Sun also teamed up with the Pavilion Theatre and the Irn-Bru carnival to sell bargain tickets for both, with all profits going to the charity.
Scottish Sun Editor-in-Chief Gill Smith said: "Kids should get to be kids and HopScotch allows youngsters, who don't often get that chance, to escape on an action-packed adventure in the Highlands.
"This year HopScotch turns 25 and has the aim of raising £25,000. We hope by the end of the year we'll help them with that goal, so they can send hundreds more kids on well-deserved breaks."
HNM readers urged to
donate 5,000 pints of blood
Highland News and Media has launched its group-wide Give Blood, Save Lives campaign in conjunction with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to encourage readers to donate a total of 5,000 pints of blood between now and Easter.
The company, which publishes the Inverness Courier, Northern Scot and Ross-shire Journal, amongst others, also wants to increase the number of regular donors to make supply more sustainable.
Writing in the Courier’s newsletter, news editor Gregor White said: “That’s 5000 pints of blood that will be used to help those caught up in emergency situations including accident victims, birthing mothers and newborn babies, as well as others undergoing cancer treatment or suffering blood disorders.
“Just three teaspoons of blood can save a baby’s life and that, by dividing each blood donation into its constituent parts it has the potential to change for the better the lives of up to three people.”
Scotsman appeal to boost
national homelessness charity
The Scotsman’s winter appeal this year is in support of the charity Cyrenians, which works to alleviate homelessness across Scotland.
With housing emergencies being declared across Scotland, and rising visible and hidden homelessness in cities across Scotland, it is an appeal which has already struck a chord with readers and the appeal hopes to raise some much needed funds by highlighting the work to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness.
The Scotsman teamed up with The List for the second year running, which saw a copy of the Magazine featuring the annual Hot 100 given away with the issue of Saturday, 30 November. The tie-up won the award for Best Commercial Partnership at the PPA awards in London last year.
