Page 3 - Newspaper of the Future Case Study

‘Life is Local’

(Johnston Press Moto)

The Newsroom Of The Future

In 1978 the Falkirk-based Johnston Press (JP) acquired Yorkshire Weekly
Newspaper Group (YWNG), and took its first steps on the road to expansion
through acquisition which would lead it to become one of the UK’s largest
publishers of local and regional newspapers. In 1988 JP was listed on the
London Stock Exchange and from then until the 2008 recession regularly
announced yearly operating profits in excess of 30 per cent. The Johnston
family owned in 2008 more than 20% of JP’s shares but as advertising
revenues fell so did its shareholding.

The history of JP is mirrored in its purchase of The Scotsman, a newspaper that
opened in Scotland in 1817 and acquired by JP in 2005. The Scotsman was part
of The Scotsman Publications Ltd., and was sold to JP for £160 million in cash
by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay who had bought it in 1995 for
£85 million. The Barclay’s also owned the Telegraph Group through their Press
Holdings Group, which in turn had been the vehicle for owning The Scotsman
Publications Ltd.

The sale comprised The Scotsman, Scotland’s national newspaper and its
sister titles, Scotland on Sunday, Edinburgh Evening News, the free
Edinburgh Herald & Post and the scotsman.com website.