An editor has urged communities with no dedicated local news service to consider launching their own newspaper.

Iain Stephen Morrison has made the suggestion as his own paper, Am Pàipear, celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Am Pàipear was established as a social enterprise on Benbecula, in the Outer Hebrides, in 1976.

Its print edition, pictured below, is published once a month, in conjunction with an online service, but Iain says demand for the newspaper has not slowed.

He said: “We live in a world where traditional news cycles no longer exist and through digital media the big developments at national and international level are reported instantaneously.

“I think websites are less and less important and certainly secondary to social media. However, at community level I am not convinced social media will ever be as effective when it comes to news delivery, as you are talking about relatively low numbers and posts appear in such a way they can often be missed.

“Equally, if the content is original and relevant, we find that people in our area remain prepared to pay for a printed newspaper.

“Our community is unique and special, but not so different from anywhere else. If presented with the best possible balance of news, features, sport and local information, I think significant numbers in any community will be interested.”

Two members of staff produce Am Pàipear, with printing the only element of the process which takes place off the island.

A committee of volunteers oversee the running of the business, into which all profits are reinvested.

Added Iain: “Content is the main concern and our strategy for Am Pàipear is extremely hyperlocal. We do not concentrate much in the way of resources covering wider stories that the weekly papers, websites and the national media will address in great detail.

“In the main we work very closely with the community, picking up stories that might otherwise go under the radar. As a result, our product is very often all unique, filled with content our readers cannot access anywhere else.”

A full programme of events planned to celebrate 40 years of Am Pàipear have been launched, and a special exhibition which sees its entire 40-year archive opened to the public began yesterday.