Hello and welcome to the first of our Editor’s Pick newsletters where I will be discussing my highlights from the week so far at The Herald.
It is a privilege to be able to talk to you – our readers – and share my excitement for so much of our work, explaining some background and giving you an idea of why we have chosen to cover certain stories.
With so much strong and varied content this should be a straightforward task, but I am already struggling with choice.
Saying that, a stand-out piece for me was our exclusive interview on Wednesday with Andy Cliffe, the new boss at Glasgow Airport, who sat down with Business Editor Ian McConnell in our Bath Street offices to talk about the role and his ambitions.
The most exciting thing for me is the idea that this interview could spark meaningful change, as Cliffe expressed his frustration that the great city of Glasgow is not “punching its weight”. What could be done, collectively, to help Glasgow realise its full potential?
Another piece of huge importance was on Tuesday, with our exclusive from Professor Wendy Alexander, the vice-principal of the University of Dundee, who accused the Home Office of turning international students into “political footballs”, as new policies propose reducing the time they and their dependents can stay in the UK after finishing a course.
The topic of university funding – and places for international students – is one The Herald has led on, following our exclusive with the principal of the University of Edinburgh, Sir Peter Mathieson, last week who called for a review into whether Scottish students should start paying for tuition fees. The issues of education, opportunities and maximising potential for Scotland are ones we are passionate about and will continue to discuss in our pages.
We can all accept however that sometimes we need a break from serious topics. I am very aware of the impact hard news can have on readers, including avoidance through saturation, and so I seek balance at The Herald. I am always striving for content that informs and challenges, but also makes readers smile and escape their day-to-day lives, even just briefly.
This week, my favourite example of this was through the words of our immensely talented Features Writer Alison Rowat, who took on the topic of the eagerly awaited TV show Scotland’s Home of the Year, only to end up ‘tile shamed’ in her own house.
“From there she nipped into the kitchen,” she wrote on Monday, reviewing the first episode of the season, “where the cooker wall was covered in rectangular ‘metro tiles’. Like wot I’ve got, I thought proudly. I thought too soon. Normally, said Anna, metro tiles would be a ‘cop-out’ in a kitchen. What a cheek, suggesting my tiles were a design cliche. I could feel my face turning red.”
Now on to sport, where the strength of our opinion writing is a consistent draw for readers. It was no surprise to me therefore to see positive reaction to Graeme McGarry’s piece on Monday, as he asked: What can realistically be done to ensure our top-flight football teams give more young Scottish players an opportunity in their first teams?
We are always keen to hear from our readers and encourage discussion on our pages. And so I ask, why is the Scottish Premiership not the place to see the best young Scottish talent? Where do answers – and indeed solutions – lie?
This was just a small selection of some of our best pieces this week. There was, of course, so much more which I hope you will take the time to enjoy.
Thank you for your support,
Catherine Salmond
Editor
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