Edinburgh-based daily The Scotsman today broke new ground by launching what it claims is Scotland’s first newspaper iPhone app.
The app, pictured left, will cost £1.79 for a three month subscription and represents the first foray into smartphone applications by The Scotsman’s parent company, Johnston Press.
Henry Faure Walker, general manager of The Scotsman Publications said: “We’re pleased to announce the launch of the first iPhone app for a Scottish newspaper. We have a strong reputation for digital innovation and the launch of The Scotsman app ensures we remain at the forefront of multimedia development in Scotland.
“The Scotsman app offers the best of both worlds; access to the hugely popular scotsman.com website plus the ability to leaf through the pages of our award winning newspapers.”
The app has been created in partnership with page-turning software company PageSuite.
Its marketing manager Ben Edwards said: “We believe the Smartphone market is an excellent channel for publishers to engage readers through and The Scotsman app is a great example of delivering exactly that interactivity.”
As well as live breaking news and sport delivered throughout the day, the app has dedicated sections for politics, education and health sections.
It also contains a page-turning digital edition of The Scotsman’s print version, a restaurant review guide and the latest theatre, music and film reviews.
Comments
regionalhack (16/04/2010 08:28:50)
Hope it works better than Atex…
Newt (16/04/2010 09:38:45)
Great idea. While my friends in their 20s and 30s rarely buy regional papers, almost all of them have iPhones and almost all of them are interested in current affairs, news and applications. While it might not be liked by old-schoolers it’s apps and other innovations like this which are vitally needed to secure the future of regional newspapers and their journalists. Getting readers to pay for online content is going to be a near impossible task unless serious money is invested in our web offerings. But new opportunities are up for grabs for everyone.
Call me cynical (16/04/2010 12:02:18)
Big deal! Late as usual JP. Why was this app not released best part of three years ago when theiPhone was launched? Hope they do better and have the iPad app ready for when it is launched in this country next month. I suspect not – it’ll probably be another three years till we get that one and JP will be bankrupt by then.
Alan (16/04/2010 13:22:16)
iphone apps port straight across to the ipad so they are there already. Tis about time though that papers realised that the world is changing and that they need to deliver in a new way