- NEW PRESIDENT FOR SCOTTISH WEEKLIES -
MICHAEL JOHNSTON ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF SNPA STRATEGIC REVIEW

Members of the Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association (SNPA) confirmed Michael Johnston, divisional managing director for Johnston Newspapers Scotland, as their new president at the organisation's AGM on Monday, 2 June.

Johnston had previously served the organisation as vice-president and took over from its immediate past-president, Bill Laidlaw, managing director of DNG Media in Dumfriesshire.

On his election, he commented: "Let our sincere thanks to Bill Laidlaw be recorded for all his hard work and enthusiasm in leading SNPA through a period of transition. His incisiveness and persistence in leading the organisation through a wide-ranging strategic review deserve particular praise. He is to be warmly congratulated.

"In looking ahead, I hope to see work continue to promote the many inherent strengths of Scotland's local weekly press. Under the directorship of Simon Fairclough, we plan to step up efforts to be more visible to the nation's policy makers and influencers, as well as to media agencies and their clients. Crucially, we also want to remind everyone of the social, economic and democratic contributions which our papers make to the communities they serve."

An experienced journalist, Michael Johnston took the helm at The Scotsman Publications on the day it was acquired by Johnston Press in 2006, at the same time becoming the publisher's divisional managing for Scotland. He had previously been South of England divisional md. Prior to Johnston Press, he worked as a journalist on a number of regional newspaper titles and had spent six years within the BBC's News & Current Affairs team in London.

Commenting on his successor's appointment, Bill Laidlaw said: "I offer thanks to fellow SNPA members for all their support. These are times of great change and challenge. There remains an important job to do in standing up for the interests of the industry and all those associated with it. It gave me great pleasure nominating Michael to succeed me. He is already a highly effective advocate for the local press and will prove a real asset to the Association for the future."

Note to editors: Photographs are available on request.
 

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For further information, please contact Simon Fairclough
t 0131 220 4353 m 07710 472731 e sfairclough@spef.org.uk

11 June 2008