A hyperlocal news publisher has launched a fresh bid for financial help after achieving a record month online.

The Shetland News has issued the appeal for readers to donate after announcing it hit one million page views in August.

HTFP reported in October last year how News readers had raised £20,000 to fund a new website for the publication.

According to a piece on the Independent Community News Network’s website, the News has recorded “steady growth” in the number of people supporting the news site financially with monthly contributions since.

But editor Hans J Marter, pictured, told ICNN: “Online paywalls and appeals for donations are now, of course, a standard feature on most news websites as publishers large and small struggle to survive in an increasingly fast-changing news environment. As such Shetland News renews its call for more people to sign up as a supporter.

“Small monthly contributions do not cost the world; in fact most people will hardly notice £3 or £5 coming off their bank account once a month. For us, however, it makes a big difference. For once the overused slogan ‘every little helps’ rings true.

“But why pay for something that is freely available? It is a good question. We certainly don’t want to limit access to Shetland News – we want the website to be open, free and accountable. But the harsh reality is that even Shetland News needs to grow its income, pay its staff a decent wage, invest in the technical side of things and, yes, also pay the taxman.

“So, contributing financially makes a lot of sense. It’s a vital investment in local journalism and doesn’t cost the world.”

In October, it was reported that the News attracted around 80,000 unique users per month.

Hans added: “One million page views in a single month for a news organisation that serves a relatively small island population, while having only three reporters, is a tremendous achievement.

“It means that on average a Shetland News page is loaded every three seconds, 24 hours a day. Our busiest hour was in the middle of the night when Beatrice Wishart was elected Shetland’s new MSP.

“The growth in readership numbers also confirms that our strategy of providing a full and unrestrictive news service is paying off. I would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank our reporters Chris Cope and Peter Johnson for doing a sterling job.”