The National

Overview

The National is a Scottish daily newspaper, published in tabloid format by Newsquest Media Group as a sister title to The Herald. It was the first daily newspaper in Scotland to editorially support Scottish independence, and upon its launch stated that it operated as a separate entity from the Scottish National Party.

History

The National launched on November 24, 2014, in the wake of that September's Scottish independence referendum, which Scotland voted against. According to The Guardian's coverage of the launch, the paper was created as a response to calls from Newsquest's readership for a pro-independence daily title. Its launch was announced on November 21, with further details given at a Scottish National Party rally the following day; the first edition carried a front-page story about charities urging the devolution of welfare powers to Scotland. The paper launched on a five-day trial basis with an initial print run of 60,000 copies; strong public demand led Newsquest to increase the print run the following day and, after a healthy first week of sales, to make the title permanent. A Saturday edition was added in May 2015.

Richard Walker, who had previously edited the Sunday Herald, served as The National's founding editor; he was named Newsquest's Editor of the Year in February 2015, with the Sunday Herald also named Newspaper of the Year that year. Reception to the launch was mixed: The Guardian's Libby Brooks praised the paper's international coverage but described its news as "central belt-centric," while Labour peer George Foulkes derided it as "McPravda." Laura Webster became editor in December 2022, having previously served as the paper's news and features editor since joining in 2018.

Notable works

• Nov. 21–24, 2014: The National's launch drew national media coverage in its own right, including two separate pieces in The Guardian—one reporting the announcement, another assessing its strong first week of sales as "a sound business move," in the words of broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, who went on to become a contributor to the paper.

Key personnel

• Editor: Laura Webster

• Founding Editor (2014): Richard Walker (Historical; previously edited Sunday Herald)

Audience

The National serves readers in Scotland interested in Scottish politics and the independence debate, distributed in print and online at thenational.scot alongside sister titles The Herald and the Glasgow Times.

Ownership

The National is owned and published by Newsquest Media Group, a subsidiary of the American media company USA Today Co as a sister title to The Herald and the Glasgow Times.

Editor in Chief. Laura Webster

URL. https://www.thenational.scot