Герáльд: История старейшей шотландской газеты

Scottish broadsheet newspaper

The Herald is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. The Herald is the longest running national newspaper in the world

The newspaper was founded by an Edinburgh born printer called John Mennons in January 1783 as a weekly publication called the Glasgow Advertiser. Mennons' first edition had a global scoop: news of the treaties of Versailles reached Mennons via the Lord Provost of Glasgow just as he was putting the paper together. War had ended with the American colonies, he revealed. The Herald, therefore, is as old as the United States of America, give or take an hour or two. The story was, however, only carried on the back page. Mennons, using the larger of two fonts available to him, put it in the space reserved for late news.

In 1802, Mennons sold the newspaper to Benjamin Mathie and James McNayr, former owner of the Glasgow Courier, which along with the Mercury, was one of two papers Mennons had come to Glasgow to challenge. Mennons' son Thomas retained an interest in the company.

From 1836 to 1964, The Glasgow Herald was owned by George Outram & Co. becoming one of the first daily newspapers in Scotland in 1858. In 1988, the publication moved to offices in Albion Street in Glasgow into the former Scottish Daily Express building. It is now based in a purpose built building in Renfield Street, Glasgow. One of the most traumatic episodes in the history of The Glasgow Herald was the battle for control and ownership of the paper in 1964. Two millionaires, Hugh Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of Allander and Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet, whose newspaper empire included The Glasgow Heralds archrival, The Scotsman, fought for control of the title for 52 days. Hugh Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of Allander was to win. The paper's then editor James Holburn was a "disapproving onlooker". The Labour Party condemned the battle as "big business at its worst". The newspaper changed its name to The Herald on 3 February 1992, dropping Glasgow from its title, but not its masthead. That same year the title was bought by Caledonia Newspaper Publishing & Glasgow. In 1996, it was purchased by Scottish Television (later called the Scottish Media Group). Notable past editors include: John Mennons, 1782; Samuel Hunter, 1803; George Outram, 1836; James Pagan, 1856; William Jack FRSE (1870–1876); James Holburn 1955–1965; George MacDonald Fraser, 1964; Alan Jenkins, 1978; Arnold Kemp 1981; Mark Douglas Home, 2000; and Charles McGhee, 2006.

Prominent columnists include Alison Rowat, who covers everything from television to international statecraft; novelist Rosemary Goring; Catriona Stewart; former Scottish justice secretary and SNP politician Kenny MacAskill Kevin McKenna amd David Pratt and business editor Ian McConnell, both multi award winning journalists, provide analysis of their fields every Friday.

Currently edited by Lorne Jackson, the column has been spun off in to a popular series of books since the 1980s. The Herald Diary used to be edited by writer Tom Shields. Sean Connery once said: "First thing each morning I turn to The Herald on my computer – first for its witty Diary, which helps keep my Scots sense of humour in tune."

It is currently printed at Carmyle, just south east of Glasgow. The paper is published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow and as of 2017 it had an audited circulation of 28,900. The Heralds website is protected by a paywall. It is part of the Newsquest Scotland stable of sites, which have 41m page views a month.

The Herald declares in every edition that it does not endorse any political party. However, the newspaper backed a 'No' vote in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. The accompanying headline stated, "The Heralds view: we back staying within UK, but only if there's more far reaching further devolution."