Sunday Herald

Sunday Herald was a Scottish Sunday newspaper published from 7 February 1999 until 2 September 2018. Based in Glasgow, it was created as a Sunday sister title to The Herald by Scottish Media Group, which wanted to recover Sunday advertising and readership being lost to competing publishers. Andrew Jaspan, a former editor and publishing executive, was asked to assess the business case and assembled a launch group that included journalists, broadcasters, writers, designers and contributors associated with Scottish public life. Scottish Media Group committed substantial funding to the launch, and the first issue appeared as a seven-section broadsheet under the slogan “No ordinary Sunday.” The paper deliberately pursued a distinctive editorial identity rather than presenting itself as a conventional companion to The Herald. It combined a broadly centre-left political outlook with support for Scottish devolution and, later, Scottish independence. Its early tone was liberal, visually ambitious and sometimes provocative. The first issue’s use of strong language reportedly alienated some older and more conservative readers, but helped establish the title as a newspaper aimed at readers seeking a less traditional Sunday paper. It developed a reputation for political reporting, investigative journalism, design and photography, and received awards in the United Kingdom and internationally. Its contributors included Richard Holloway and Budd Schulberg, while its online edition attracted readers in the United States through its opposition to the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. The newspaper became part of a wider publishing dispute when Scottish Media Group encountered financial difficulties after an expansionary acquisition programme during the dot-com era. In 2002, the company sought to sell its publishing assets, including The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times. Andrew Jaspan campaigned against a possible acquisition by the Barclay brothers, who owned rival Scottish titles, arguing that a change of ownership could threaten the Sunday Herald’s editorial character and place major Scottish newspaper properties under concentrated control. The publishing group was instead sold to Newsquest, a Gannett company, for £216 million. UK authorities cleared the transaction in March 2003, and it completed on 5 April 2003. Jaspan left in 2004 and was succeeded by Richard Walker, who had been involved with the title since its launch. During Walker’s editorship, the newspaper moved from broadsheet to compact format on 20 November 2005. The change produced a temporary circulation improvement, and the title also launched the Sundayheraldtalk.com blog site in 2006. Its journalism continued to generate public attention. Political editor Paul Hutcheon’s reporting on Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie’s use of taxpayer-funded taxi journeys contributed to McLetchie’s resignation as party leader and from his law partnership. In 2011, the newspaper became the first mainstream UK publication to identify the footballer at the centre of the CTB super-injunction dispute, publishing a front page depicting Ryan Giggs with a censorship bar over his eyes. The episode highlighted the different legal positions of Scotland and England and led to wider debate about injunctions and press freedom. The Sunday Herald’s political position became most explicit during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. It was the only Scottish newspaper to endorse a Yes vote. Its pro-independence front page, designed by Alasdair Gray and featuring a thistle framed by Scottish saltires, became one of the best-known newspaper images of the referendum campaign. Circulation rose sharply in September 2014 compared with the previous year, although the increase did not reverse the longer-term structural decline affecting the print newspaper sector. Average sales had fallen to 23,907 copies in the second half of 2013, and circulation was reported at 18,387 by 2017. Neil Mackay became editor in 2015. By August 2018, staff were told that they would also be expected to work on The Herald, amid the possibility that the two titles would eventually be combined. The final Sunday Herald was published on 2 September 2018. It was replaced by Sunday editions of The Herald and The National. The brand therefore survives primarily as a notable part of modern Scottish newspaper history: a commercially challenged but editorially distinctive title that connected centre-left journalism, Scottish constitutional politics, investigative reporting and experimental newspaper design.

Sunday Herald was established by Scottish Media Group as a Sunday companion to The Herald. In early 1998, the group concluded that it needed a Sunday title to compete for advertising and readership. Andrew Jaspan was appointed to investigate the proposal and subsequently led the creation of the newspaper. The launch team included journalists, broadcasters, political commentators, designers and writers, among them Pat Kane, Muriel Gray, Iain Macwhirter, Simon Cunningham, Lesley Riddoch, Torcuil Crichton and Pennie Taylor. Scottish Media Group committed £10 million to the project. The first issue appeared on 7 February 1999 as a seven-section broadsheet. Its editorial personality was centre-left, liberal and supportive of Scottish devolution. The newspaper’s willingness to use provocative language and its emphasis on design helped distinguish it from established Sunday competitors. It developed a reputation for investigative journalism, political coverage, photography and cultural writing, and attracted contributors including Richard Holloway and Budd Schulberg. The digital edition also gained readers outside the United Kingdom, particularly in the United States, partly because of its opposition to the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. The title’s corporate circumstances changed after Scottish Media Group suffered financial problems linked to acquisitions made during the dot-com period. Its publishing division, including The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times, was put up for sale in 2002. A possible purchase by the Barclay brothers generated concern because they owned rival Scottish newspapers and were perceived by Sunday Herald supporters as unsympathetic to the title’s editorial outlook. Andrew Jaspan helped organize a campaign opposing that outcome, including lobbying at the Labour Party conference. The assets were instead sold to Newsquest, a Gannett company, for £216 million. The UK Department of Trade and Industry cleared the transaction in March 2003, and completion took place on 5 April. Jaspan left in 2004, when he became editor of The Age in Australia. Richard Walker, a journalist who had been involved with Sunday Herald from its launch and had served as Jaspan’s deputy, became editor. Walker oversaw the move to compact format in November 2005. Although the redesign produced a temporary sales benefit, the title remained exposed to the broader decline in paid newspaper circulation. Walker also backed the launch of Sundayheraldtalk.com in 2006, extending the brand into online discussion and blogging. The newspaper continued to attract attention through its reporting. In 2006, political editor Paul Hutcheon’s investigation into David McLetchie’s taxi expenses won major Scottish Press Awards and contributed to McLetchie’s departure as Scottish Conservative leader. In May 2011, the newspaper published the identity of Ryan Giggs in the super-injunction dispute known as CTB v News Group Newspapers. The paper’s position was that an injunction issued in England did not apply in Scotland, although the publication raised complex questions about cross-border enforcement and press law. The Sunday Herald received a European Newspaper of the Year award in the weekend-paper category that year. Constitutional politics became central to the paper’s public identity. In 2014, it was the only Scottish newspaper to support independence in the referendum. Alasdair Gray designed a special cover for the decision, using a thistle within a frame of Scottish saltires. The stance was followed by a sharp short-term increase in circulation, but longer-term sales continued to decline. The average circulation for July–December 2013 was 23,907 copies, while reported circulation had fallen to 18,387 by 2017. In 2012 the publishers had classified the title as regional rather than national. Neil Mackay became editor in 2015. In August 2018, staff were informed that they would also be expected to work on The Herald, amid discussion that the titles might ultimately be combined. Sunday Herald published its final issue on 2 September 2018. The brand was replaced by Sunday editions of The Herald and The National, ending nearly two decades of publication. Its historical importance rests less on scale than on its distinctive combination of Scottish constitutional advocacy, centre-left journalism, investigative reporting and modern newspaper presentation.

• 2018

  Final edition

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  The final issue appeared on 2 September before Sunday editions of The Herald and The National replaced the title.

• 2014

  Independence referendum endorsement

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  Sunday Herald endorsed a Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum and experienced a major temporary circulation increase.

• 2011

  Super-injunction story published

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  The title identified Ryan Giggs in the CTB legal dispute and won a European Newspaper of the Year award in the weekend-paper category.

• 2006

  Online discussion platform launched

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  Sundayheraldtalk.com was introduced as a blog and discussion platform.

• 2005

  Compact format introduced

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  The newspaper adopted a compact format on 20 November.

• 2003

  Newsquest acquisition completed

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  Newsquest completed its acquisition of the Scottish Media Group publishing assets on 5 April.

• 1999

  First issue published

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  Sunday Herald launched on 7 February as a seven-section broadsheet.

• 1998

  Launch project commissioned

  [1]Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org

  Scottish Media Group commissioned Andrew Jaspan to examine the business case for creating a Sunday sister title to The Herald.

A liberal and centre-left Scottish Sunday newspaper with strong support for devolution and, later, Scottish independence. The title emphasized distinctive journalism, visual design, political investigation and a more provocative editorial voice than many established Sunday competitors.

• Sunday newspaper · 1999

  Sunday Herald print edition

  The core product was a weekly Scottish Sunday newspaper launched in broadsheet form in 1999. It covered Scottish and United Kingdom politics, investigations, news, culture, opinion, sport and features. The paper changed to compact format in November 2005 in an effort to make the product more accessible and competitive in a declining print market.

• Digital newspaper

  Sunday Herald digital edition

  The newspaper’s web presence extended its reporting and commentary beyond the printed Sunday edition. It gained an international readership, including in the United States, and was particularly associated with its anti-Iraq War and anti-George W. Bush editorial perspective.

• Blog and discussion platform · 2006

  Sundayheraldtalk.com

  Launched in 2006, Sundayheraldtalk.com was an online blog and discussion service connected with the newspaper. It represented an effort to develop community and commentary formats alongside the traditional weekly print product.

• 2006

  Taxigate reporting

  Sunday Herald reporting by Paul Hutcheon examined David McLetchie’s use of taxpayer-funded taxi journeys for legal and party-related work. The coverage contributed to McLetchie resigning as leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and leaving his law partnership.

  Source

Read more

• 2014Scottish independence referendum endorsement

  Scotland

  Sunday Herald publicly supported a Yes vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Alasdair Gray created a special front page featuring a thistle framed by Scottish saltires.

  Outcome. The endorsement made Sunday Herald the only Scottish newspaper to support independence and coincided with a substantial year-on-year circulation increase in September 2014.

  Source
• 2002Campaign against Barclay acquisition

  Scotland · United Kingdom

  Andrew Jaspan led a public and political campaign opposing the possible acquisition of the Sunday Herald and related Scottish titles by the Barclay brothers, owners of competing newspapers. The campaign focused on ownership concentration and the perceived risk to the paper’s editorial independence and centre-left character.

  Outcome. The publishing assets were sold to Newsquest rather than the Barclay interests.

  Source

• 2018

  Replacement by Sunday editions of other titlesStrategy

  Background

  Circulation had fallen substantially, and staff were being asked to work across Sunday Herald and The Herald as the publisher considered combining operations.

  Action taken

  The publisher ended Sunday Herald publication after the 2 September final edition and replaced it with Sunday editions of The Herald and The National.

  Aftermath

  The Sunday Herald brand became defunct after almost twenty years of publication.

  Source

• 2014

  Editorial endorsement of Scottish independenceStrategy

  Background

  The 2014 referendum placed Scotland’s constitutional future at the centre of public debate, aligning closely with the newspaper’s established support for Scottish devolution.

  Action taken

  Sunday Herald endorsed a Yes vote and published a specially designed pro-independence front page.

  Aftermath

  The newspaper experienced a major short-term increase in circulation during the referendum campaign but did not overcome the longer-term decline in print sales.

  Source

• 2005

  Change from broadsheet to compact formatGeneration change

  Background

  The newspaper operated in a market facing declining print readership and strong competition from established Sunday titles.

  Action taken

  Richard Walker oversaw the conversion of Sunday Herald from broadsheet to compact format on 20 November.

  Aftermath

  The change produced a temporary circulation uplift, although the title later resumed a long-term decline.

  Source

1. 1Sunday Heralden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Sunday Herald official websitesundayherald.com