Sunday Herald ? First Scottish newspaper to support independence
News from Celtic League
The Sunday Herald is the first Scottish newspaper to openly support a yes vote in the forthcoming Scottish independence referendum on 18th September 2014.
With an editorial title today (4th May 2014) of ?The prize is a better country. It is as simple as that: why the Sunday Herald supports a Yes vote? the newspaper Editor, Richard Walker, writes:
?No-one should find the decision easy. There is nothing simple, clean, or clinical about ending a union that has endured for better than three centuries. Nevertheless, having considered the arguments, the Sunday Herald sincerely and emphatically believes that the best outcome is a vote for independence.?
Whether any other newspapers will follow the lead of the Sunday Herald remains to be seen, but the significance of the move is noteworthy in that none of the Scottish press have openly stated their view so far, even though newspapers have been edging towards particular positions, including the Sunday Herald. The front cover of the Sunday Herald newspaper today was designed by the Scottish artist/writer and supporter of Scottish independence, Alasdair Gray, who has been publicly vocal in his criticism of what he sees to be a deep rooted bias of the BBC in their reporting of the yes campaign.
The fact that the gap between the yes and no campaign has been narrowing greatly in recent weeks, could be of some significance in the decision of the newspaper to proclaim its support for a yes vote outcome and it is likely that if such an outcome becomes increasingly more certain, other newspapers will also jump, ahead of the referendum too. So far The Scotsman and The Herald (in Glasgow) newspapers have been Unionist in their front pages and approach to date, even though there are some pro independence columnists writing for The Herald.
Established in 1999 the circulation of the Sunday Herald newspaper is reported to be 23, 000 and is owned by the company Newsquest, which is the third largest owner of regional and local newspapers in the UK with over 300 titles in its portfolio.
04/05/14
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