An historic industry body has dropped the word “newspaper” from its name after 108 years.

The Scottish Newspaper Society has relaunched as Newsbrands Scotland in a move it says “reflects modern newsrooms which reach far bigger audiences through digital platforms”.

The organisation traces its lineage back to the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society, founded in 1915.

It amalgamated with the Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association, which represented the interests of weekly publishers, to form the SNS in 2009.

The rebranding project was a collaborative effort across member publishers, with the branding design produced by DC Thomson and the marketing campaign devised by National World, with input from News UK and Newsquest Scotland.

Newsbrands Scotland’s inaugural president Mark Hollinshead, who is National World plc’s chief commercial officer, said: “Our newsbrands reach more people than they ever did in the print-only days and the new name of our trade association reflects the multi-platform reality of the modern newsroom.

“Ever since the advent of the internet, Scottish news publishers have been evolving and innovating to keep their audiences well-served with up-to-the-minute, trusted information and analysis, and the audience figures speak for themselves.

“Scottish newsbrands keep communities across the country well-informed and connected, have a vital role to play in holding national and local politicians to account for the decisions they make, and are an essential means for services, businesses and charities to communicate with their users and customers.”

Newsbrands Scotland director John McLellan added: “This was a very good example of publishers working together for the benefit of the whole sector in Scotland, whether society members or not.”

“Our titles continue to provide a depth and breadth of coverage that few, if any, networks can match, and the fact that all our members are independently regulated is also vital for maintaining public trust.

“Readers want to know they are being provided with professionally produced news, and our commercial partners benefit because readers recognise they are in a trusted environment.

“News publishers also continue to support and train the journalists of the future, and it’s important for our name to reflect an industry that is always looking forward.”