Caledonian Mercury given redesign
Scotland’s newest newspaper, The Caledonian Mercury, is undergone a substantial redesign just two years after it was launched as part of an overhaul that includes ‘weekly updates’ to core content and an invitation to readers to submit material to the site.
The online news portal has been given cleaner and faster architecture with enhanced navigation to make it easier for readers to find the stories they want and its weekly newsletter has been ‘de-bugged’.
Stewart Kirkpatrick, the editor of The Caledonian Mercury, said: “The Caley Merc has evolved, and will continue to evolve. It is far from the finished product, very far from paying our journalists a decent amount, and very, very far from being the answer to the ills of the Scottish media. But we are still here and still trying, still experimenting and still determined to succeed.”
The Caledonian Mercury is also asking its readers to help it by encouraging others to read the Caley Merc - and share its pieces on social networking sites.
Kirkpatrick added: “With no paywalls or major advertisers, donations have been our lifeblood. Without those kind individuals who give us some of their hard-earned money, the site would have had to close more than a year ago. Thanks to them, however, its future is assured. We will shortly be unveiling a revamped donation scheme that offers donors a token of its gratitude.
“Without our readers and our donors, we are nothing. And we need their help to keep our paper running. We are an independent publication, owned by the people who work for it.
We have no rich backers. We are not owned by a large corporation. We are not a millionaire’s plaything. We have no major advertisers. Our only advantage is our relationship with our readers.”