Gazette editorial team

Stornoway Gazette to relaunch

8 April 2021

A new editorial team hopes to revitalise the Stornoway Gazette starting with a relaunch next week.

Since last year the paper has covered its Western Isles’ patch from the Central Belt and vacated its Stornoway office.

The Gazette came under the wing of new owner, National World, in December when parent company, JPIMedia, was purchased for £10 million.

JPIMedia was created in 2018 to acquire newspaper assets from the Gazette’s former owner, debt-laden Johnston Press which fell into administration.

Rights to the weekly island title and the monthly Back in the Day publication were purchased by JPI and are now transferred to National World.

The acquisition came after a difficult year for print newspapers with lockdown hammering an already ailing circulation which, for the Gazette, is presently thought to be around the 2,300 weekly copies mark.

National World has appointed a local trio who are embarking on a fresh home-grown approach to rekindle interest in the paper.

Former Labour Party minister and Lewis resident Brian Wilson takes on the role of editor-in-chief. He is a former owner and writer for the Skye-based West Highland Free Press which also has a Western Isles readership.

Also previously associated with the Free Press is freelance journalist Murray MacLeod who takes up the mantle of editor. Eric Mackinnon returns as sports editor while PR guru and Spòrs na Seachdain radio anchor John Morrison will pen a fortnightly sports column.

The paper aims to secure office premises in Stornoway shortly.

Murray MacLeod said: “Despite falling sales, the Stornoway Gazette brand still remains prominent within the island community. A large part of its recent decline has been the lack of a local team and the absence of a local office, both of which will be put right in order to return the Gazette to the heart of the community once again.

“But we can’t take people’s loyalty for granted and they won’t return to it without reason. First and foremost it has to be a product worth buying and to that end we will bring a mix of good, strong local stories and a team of writers that would grace any national newspaper.

“We will also look to delve into the rich archives of the Gazette - one of the success stories of recent years has been ‘Back in the Day’, and we will look to build on that as local history is something that’s very important to islanders.”