Access to Shetland News remains free of charge – but it comes at a price

FOLLOWING the recent significant changes in the local media landscape, it is important to confirm once again that access to Shetland News is free and will remain so.

That is not to say that we don’t need an income too – far from it.

And while we don’t necessarily agree with some of the sentiments expressed in a recent editorial published in the latest edition of The Shetland Times, we agree with one thing: we are a business, and the journalists within our small team need to be paid properly for the very valuable job they do.

We like to regard Shetland News as a community asset and access to our news coverage should therefore be free, so that everybody in and off the islands has a chance to read the local news and engage with local current affairs. That’s our contribution to local democracy, and it is especially important while the cost of living remains high.

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It is however a tough business model that not many news providers follow. As paywalls go up left, right and centre – and now also in Shetland – we continue to be the odd one out. But, we like to be in that position.

Shetland News is now the only truly local news organisation:

• We are owned by people living and working in the islands
• Our reporters cover events and meetings across the isles
• Most of what we publish at www.shetnews.co.uk are original stories and are not social media re-writes
• We supply the local BBC radio station, SIBC, the P&J and others with news copy produced under the BBC-funded ‘Local Democracy Reporting Service’ (LDRS) contract
• We only carry advertising that is relevant to islanders
• We offer reduced advertising rates to local charities and voluntary organisations.

Maintaining free access to Shetland News, however, comes at a price.

Help keep Shetland’s news open to everyone

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We highly appreciate and value our advertisers, including those who have taken out ads for many years.

For several years now we have also been offering readers the chance to become members of Shetland News. That has proved very successful, and we would like to say a big thank you to all our members.

Perhaps now is the time for those who haven’t signed up yet to do so. It’s quick and straightforward and would mean the world to us:  https://account.shetnews.co.uk/register/

Shetland is very lucky in that it still has three very active local news providers that report on current affairs, ask questions of those in power, reflect on island life and take part in the debates and discussions every healthy society needs. It’s a tremendous asset.