Wilson calls for state funding of newspapers
Former UK Trade Minister and journalist, Brian Wilson has called for state support for the newspaper industry, which otherwise, he argues, may well cease to exist – damaging democracy in the process.
Speaking at his inaugural address as visiting professor at Caledonian University, Wilson stated that the decline of newspapers is “both real and rapid” the world over.
“If newspapers are to survive, they must first define what public interest is and then protect that, which furthers the point that state support of newspapers in some form or another will become more necessary. We should be looking around the world for examples where Governments have led ways to ensure the survival of its press in the interests of democracy itself,” said Wilson.
He went on to describe the newspaper industry as “too important to be dismissed lightly,” and that “at their best, newspapers are educators and informers.”
Wilson also said that he believed that there was a case for the merging of The Scotsman and The Herald, but only under a completely new ownership.