Merry Christmas and a call for seasonal goodwill
AS ANOTHER momentous year comes to an end and the focus switches from local and national politics to more domestic affairs, the team here at Shetland News would like to take the opportunity to wish our many readers, supporters and advertisers a peaceful Christmas and prosperous New Year.
After another busy 12 months, during which we covered four (!) election campaigns, at least one hundred council and trusts meetings, numerous court sessions, as well as a number of local tragedies, the time is right to put the feet up for the festive period and recharge the batteries for 2020.
We will back in full force from 6 January.
But it is also the time to say a big thank you for your trust in our style of journalism and for coming back again and again to get your daily dose of factual and impartial local news.
Ever since we launched our redeveloped website in October 2018, readership figures have rocketed. By the end of 2019 www.shetnews.co.uk will have recorded almost 10 million page views in just one year, a growth rate of 35 per cent.
However, journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing world of the news media, most publishers – national and local – struggle financially despite healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their website, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 260 supporters who voluntarily put their hands in their pocket and pay us a small contribution for our service.
We are immensely grateful to all of them and for every pound that we receive that way, but the brutal fact is that we need more – in fact many more – supporters to secure the long-term viability of the Shetland News project.
If you would like to become a Shetland News supporter please follow this link: https://supporters.shetnews.co.uk
Many thanks.
Hans J Marter
Managing editor
www.shetnews.co.uk
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