THE National is Scotland’s only pro-independence paper – but we think it’s a well worthwhile read for those who aren’t quite Yes voters yet too.
We’ve often encouraged readers to buy an extra copy and pass it to an undecided friend, especially on special occasions such as our republication of the McCrone Report.
So, we wanted to highlight SEVEN key reasons we think our coverage will be of wider interest. When you pass on one of our papers, perhaps as part of the Autumn of Indy Action, you can highlight these points!
1. We’re not afraid to hold power to account – even the Royals
The Royal Family’s power and influence gives them sway over the media, and the BBC hardly even sees fit to give republicans a place on the stage, despite alleged impartiality.
Not so with The National. We don’t believe hereditary status should exclude power and privilege from scrutiny, as evidenced by our reporting of royal cash grabs, for example – we also recently exclusively revealed taxpayer subsidies for the Queen's Balmoral estate.
2. Brexit is a disaster and we’re not afraid to point out its consequences
Scotland voted to stay in the EU – and that vote was promptly ignored because of this Union we’re in.
Some who are yet to commit themselves to a Yes vote in indyref2 are well opposed to Brexit, and if that’s you, you’ll find much of interest on our pages.
READ MORE: How to get a National digital subscription at half price for six months
As well as top coverage of how Brexit is affecting Scotland, for example by devastating our fishing industry, we’ve carried exclusive reports on how Brexit is causing shortages in supermarkets.
Some are content to blame this solely on the pandemic – that isn’t the truth.
3. We report on ALL of Scotland
One of our most-read recent stories was on Highland Council refusing to send children of the Small Isles home from school every weekend, with one Eigg parent telling of their daughter calling in tears every night.
As columnists like Lesley Riddoch have pointed out so clearly, Scotland is about far more than the Central Belt. We strive to reflect that in our news pages, covering stories from across our nation.
4. We won’t let the BBC get away with bias
It’s not just independence supporters disappointed in the state of BBC reporting – especially when it comes to amateur errors on Scotland, such as radio reports mixing up Holyrood with Stormont.
We dig into the data of Scottish politicians appearing on Question Time relative to how much should be expected for balance. We impartially fact-check claims on whether Holyrood has legal power to hold indyref2 when the BBC says otherwise live on air. And much more.
5. Good news gets the celebration it deserves
It can often feel like good news gets buried – but we’re not afraid of celebrating Scotland’s success stories, be that in sport, business or many other areas. This can range from incredible personal stories to, for example, Scotland’s thriving games industry.
For us, we have no interest in making sure Scots feel down in the dumps about this country’s talent and potential – so we’ll shout the successes from the rooftops.
6. We have history articles that even the Tories admit are impressive
We have unrivalled coverage of all things Scottish history. A recent series on the past of some of our nation’s clans was so impressive that Tory MSPs tweeted to admit we were doing a fantastic job – and when even they’re saying it…
However, we also cover some parts of history that they probably don’t want us to. “Parcel of rogues” is a phrase for a reason! In addition to the REAL history of the Union, our Back In The Day series looks at some of the most outlandish and incredible stories from our past too.
7. Top reporting on foreign affairs
As well as our daily section rounding up the top news from around the globe, we have a top range of expert voices commenting on foreign affairs. That includes David Pratt, a renowned Scottish foreign correspondent and photographer.
The National Editors Association of Catalonia even gave The National a top award for our coverage of their referendum on independence and Spain’s crackdown on democracy.
Ps. We have lots of great daily puzzles too!
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel