Bring Back the Broadsheet!
THE DECLINE OF Scotland’s nation newspaper is marked and lamentable. Once exhibiting a certain grace and dignity, the Scotsman was the most respected of Caledonian dailies. It was the only to have bureaus overseas, and it presided as king of the newspaper realm from stately offices on the heights of North Bridge. All of that, of course, is all gone. It’s all about cost-cutting and driving up circulation instead of maintaining the role as Scotland’s newspaper of record.
The conversion from broadsheet to tabloid was supposed to be one of pure convenience. All those people on the bus need a smaller paper to read! But it has seriously affected the very essence of the newspaper. What was once weighty and serious is now cursory and flippant. The Scotsman‘s remaining redeeming feature is the presence of Mr. Alexander McCall Smith and his 44 Scotland Street serial.
Broad sheet, broad mind.
I guess I should stick to reading fictional newspapers.
Link: The Daily Excess
8:29 am
Can you count the things the liberals would object to in the image of the old Scotsman?
1) Harold Macmillan
2) A judge’s wig
3) The Pope
4) 12-year sentence for spy traitor
9:54 am
I never was fully comfortable with reading newspapers except on Sunday, when I took the liberty of spreading it on the coffee table in the family room. Otherwise, on buses or park benches, I found it a bit cumbersome to read — It certainly requires a bit of skill to flip it and fold it. The worst part is when a newspaper has sections (which tend to fall out) or when a story is scattered over several non-sequential and disjointed pages.
Thus, for most things, I’ve preferred journals and magazines, for both news/business and pleasure reading.
But this is not to say that I will accept tabloid journalism. (I spent too many years as editor of a few publications for that.) I hate how ‘newspapers’ today feel as if becoming more ‘relaxed’ and ‘user-friendly’ also translates to relaxing the standards of journalistic integrity and prioritization of news reports. Let alone their blatant disregard for the economic use of ink! I call to mind several New York papers (with which I’m sure you’re well aquainted) as prime examples of what should not be done. These, and the new Scotsman shown above, exemplify how sensationalism and novelty have trumped good sense and tradition.
And thus, cumbersomeness aside, I much prefer the old broadsheet.
5:14 pm
Note the headline at the bottom of Page One of the fine old broadsheet:
“Pope Paul likely to be more cautious.”
That story must have been missed by his liturgists.
5:17 pm
A rather unfortunate choice of photo for your ‘broad mind’ comment!
9:54 pm
I foolishly didn’t think anyone would recognise him, Stuart!
3:04 pm
Come back and save the Scotsman Mr. C. Its not too late, yet. I could see you working in the old offices on North Bridge. I spent the night there once and very nice it was, but it would be splendid to see it used for the paper again.