THINKING back on the first five incredible years of The National, to me there’s no doubt about our biggest achievement to date.
The 10,000 Steps Campaign we launched earlier this year – in which we pledge to invest directly in the push for independence for every 1000 subscribers who sign up – has been without doubt the best thing we’ve done. Thousands of extra subscribers have signed up to support the paper on the back of it – and we’ve already been able to launch a series of monthly supplements (one more out next week), hired a full-time video journalist, and when we hit our next target of 8000 very soon, we’ll unveil a new Unionist fact-checker and rebuttal service.
But now, to celebrate our fifth anniversary, we’re going to go one step further. We’ve racked our brains to try to work out what the Yes movement needs most from us, and we think we have the answer. So today we’re introducing a new target and a new incentive: when we reach 8500 subscribers (hopefully by the end of the year) we commit to launching a brand new National Yes Hub – a new website packed full of the fact-checks, graphics, videos, events, flyers and other resources that YOU need to win Scotland’s independence.
So if you’re a print or digital reader, visit www.thenational.scot/subscribe to back our campaign – and we’ll back you during indyref2.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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