Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron supported the successful bid by the Scottish Conservatives to provide critical support to Scotland’s local news providers.
The party tabled an amendment in Holyrood today seeking increased assistance for one of the country’s most under-pressure industries. Before the vote on the amendment, the Scottish Conservative MSP said:
“The news media in my region is providing an invaluable and irreplaceable service for our communities. The pandemic is serving to illustrate how important that service is, as we need trusted local news sources as never before."
“We simply must not lose our local newspapers which is why action to tide them over this crisis is so important, and why they should be given the same levels of support as other key sectors which are suffering."
“I very much hope the SNP Government will accept our amendment and get behind our local newspapers and news providers.”
The local press is estimated to have lost 75 per cent of advertising revenue and 25 per cent of circulation cash due to the pandemic.
The amendment was submitted to Stage Three of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill by Murdo Fraser MSP
