The Scotsman

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 27 Oct 2004, 08:38

I have become increasingly disappointed with the paper over the last few years. (I think it began when Portobello's own Ian Bell defected to the Herald.) Its now shrunk in size and in-depth content.

Yesterday I discovered that The Scotsman have started a campaign to "Save our Regiments". I cannot remember the Scotsman ever campaigning for Miners or for any other occupations or jobs for that matter. Why should Regiments be immune to rationalisation if it makes economic sense? Why not just order them to disband? After all they use "orders" as good reason excuse for every thing else they do, illegal or not.

If this campaign has a valid home, which I refute, then it should be in the Daily Record.

ali · Post by **ali** » 27 Oct 2004, 10:15

The Hootsmon has been on the slide for years - ever since Andrew Neill and the Barclay Brothers got their paws on it.

I gave up 3 or 4 years ago and defected to The Herald. I still sneak a look at the Hootsmon now and again and nothing I see persuades me that I should return. The turnover in journalists at Barclay Towers is terrific and they don't seem to have any columnists to compare with Ruth Wishart, Ian McWhirter and Jackie Kemp.
The Herald's letters page - as good a way to take the temperature of its collective readership and judge a newspaper's health as any - is way out in front of the Hootsman.

Try it for a week Porty - you'll be surprised.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 27 Oct 2004, 10:53

Ali,I agree, I opt for the Herald more often than the Hootsman.

I was talikng to someone recently, I c'ant recall who, they told me that the SOS has only got 4 full time journalists on its staff!! The rest is cobbled together.

What do you think of the "Save our regiments" campaign?

Beach Babe · Post by **Beach Babe** » 27 Oct 2004, 12:43

I used to buy it each day without fail and now I probably only buy it once a week at the most (oh and occasionally sneak a peak when I'm at my parents lol)

I just haven't found a suitable replacement

ali · Post by **ali** » 27 Oct 2004, 13:05

Porty wrote: I was talikng to someone recently, I c'ant recall who, they told me that the SOS has only got 4 full time journalists on its staff!! The rest is cobbled together.

Yup, I've heard stories to the same effect - they make up the difference by running syndicated articles from all sorts of publications.

Porty wrote:What do you think of the "Save our regiments" campaign?

Opportunistic is what I call it. It seems that a lot of weight behind the campaign is emotional - on the basis that its "aye been". It's hard not to be swayed by the quivering lips of be-medalled old soldiers who've done their bit for the regiment in previous conflicts - and perhaps lost comrades in arms.
Thats not an argument that will sway the New Labour technocrats though (and i sort of reluctantly agree).

The regimental system obviously had a lot to offer as far as allowing the plummy-voiced officer corps to bind a mainly working class bunch of recruits in to a cohesive fighting unit but its hard to see where today's modern army with its "intelligence analysts and geo-contouring experts................ " - (see the latest telly recruitment ads) fits in to this?

I don't really mind which way the Army's organised -You and I porty have had the great luck to be members of the only male generation in history not to have had the threat of conscription hanging over us at some point in our lives - and amen to that I say.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 27 Oct 2004, 13:10

Eloquently put.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 28 Oct 2004, 23:02

I get Sunday Herald and other half the Scotland on Sunday

Tend to read the dailies at work if I get the chance. Like the Scotsman on a Saturday - nice size to read!

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 28 Oct 2004, 23:14

I think the Scotsman has nose-dived into mundane tabloid journalism. Most of their reasonably good people have left, and the ones that still do work for them seem to dumb down to the lowest common denominator. Did an interview for Scotland on Sunday once and it was not very good when it went to print, but worst of all a different journalist on the same paper did some snooping and published all sorts of information we had refused to give them, and we had been promised such information would not be printed anyway. I think it's trashy these days. Still, the brothers are doing okay out of it - we sailed past their brand new castle on their private island in the summer...

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 01 Nov 2004, 18:05

Was she not the lady who wrote an article (in the Grauniad?) noting that her whole approach to life and the dangers of her job had changed dramatically since she had produced a little girl type child? Always had a lot of time for her articles back in the days when I had time to read newspapers.

(not that this thread is actually about a newspaper ...)