Business / Paper celebrates 150th anniversary
The first Shetland Times was printed in 1872, and the weekly paper is now the oldest fully-independently-owned local newspaper in Scotland printed on its own newspaper press.
The paper is providing a free magazine with today’s (Friday) edition, marking 150 “moments” – covering stories that have dominated the news in the isles as well as ones show the lighter side of island life and the varied role of a local newspaper.
The newspaper, which also has an online presence, will also include a special eight-page feature containing memories from previous editors.
The colour magazine covers the 50 years of news and events since a special centenary magazine was published in 1972 – which itself can be accessed fully via a QR code.
More codes will appear throughout the magazine, giving readers the opportunity to view the original newspaper pages to see how the story was reported at the time it happened.
In some cases this expandable content allows to display how the story developed over many years, such as the controversial Viking Energy wind farm.
In all, the QR codes will allow readers electronic access to nearly 600 archive pages – as well as a link to the previously published centenary magazine.
In 1872, the four-page issue cost 2d and was then titled The Zetland Times – with an added subtitle of “Orkney and Shetland Advertiser”.
However, the title was soon changed to The Shetland Times. It has won Newspaper of the Year in the Highlands and Islands Media Awards on numerous occasions, with many of its journalists also picking up individual accolades.
Editor Alistair Munro said: “Local journalism can be a challenging career, particularly during the last two years since the start of the pandemic, but it continues to be a privilege to work in such a supportive and lively community.
“Shetland may be isolated geographically, but it has always been an extremely busy news patch, with a lively social scene.
“There has been plenty to write about in sport as well, much of which we rely on dedicated contributors, and our column-writers keep us informed from the different patches of the isles.
“Since 1872, The Shetland Times has been at the forefront of local news. Our 150th magazine highlights some of the moments that have kept generations of readers informed of news and events.”
Shetland News wishes to congratulate the Shetland Times on its 150th anniversary.
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