A change in the law has been touted to help journalists buy their newspapers if they are in danger of closing.

A new report produced for the Scottish Government has called for help to make community takeovers and staff buy-outs of at-risk local newspapers more viable.

The report, produced by the Holyrood-commissioned Public Interest Journalism Working Group, has recommended an examination into the feasibility of introducing provisions like those in the 2003 Land Reform (Scotland) Act, which helps bodies representing rural and crofting communities in Scotland to buy land.

The group has also called for the launch of a Scottish Public Interest Journalism Institute which, among other duties, would look to support the cost of such community or staff-led buyouts.

The Scottish Parliament

The group’s report, which looked at the future for public interest journalism across Scotland, cited the example of the Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser, which was taken over by community group Muckle Toon Media in 2017 after the CN Group put the title up for sale for a nominal amount.

This was contrasted with the family-owned Nairnshire Telegraph, which ceased publication at the end of last year.

The group wrote: “The working group recognises that it would be inappropriate to force proprietors to dispose of assets at a lower price than they could otherwise achieve, but believes that conditions for community takeovers and staff buy-outs could be improved to make these options more viable.

“Measures set out in this report, including charitable status for non-profit news providers, the availability of government grants, and targeted business advice through the SPIJI, could make this a much less daunting process for a community which might lack the same high-level business expertise that was at the heart of the Langholm buy-out.

“It should be emphasised that public interest news includes not only the scrutiny of local administration and judicial processes, but also the wide-ranging coverage of social, sporting and cultural events, which are essential in maintaining community life, citizenship and civic responsibility.”

Members of the working group include Shetland News owner Hans Marter, Scottish Newspaper Society director John McLellan, Independent Community News Network director Emma Meese, former Daily Record editor-in-chief Allan Rennie and ex-Record managing director Denise West.

Other recommendations made by the report include a call for the Scottish Government to invest at least 25pc of its central advertising and marketing budget with public interest news providers, as well as the proposed launch of a voucher scheme for young people aged 15 to 19 to access public interest journalism free of charge.

Its publication has been welcomed by the National Union of Journalists, which held three seats on the working group.

John Toner, NUJ national organiser Scotland, said: “The working group comprised members from a range of backgrounds and interests, but we recognised our common ground and focussed on it from the outset.

“We are pleased with the report we have produced, and hope that we can convince the Scottish Government to adopt and implement our recommendations.

“It is important to acknowledge the contribution of Edinburgh freelance branch in general, and of Joyce McMillan in particular. They have much to be proud of.”

Joyce, who chairs the union’s Edinburgh freelance branch, added: “It is a huge pleasure to welcome the publication of this report.

“Thanks to many months of hard work by the working group, it both reflects many of the priorities highlighted by the NUJ over the last two years and represents a powerful consensus among the very diverse media interests represented within the group.”