This article appears as part of the Editor's Pick newsletter.
This week marked my first year as editor of The Herald.
If ever a 12-month period has felt as though it has raced by, it has been this one – but in the most fulfilling of ways. There has, of course, been a good deal of reflection over the past few days, looking back at what has been achieved, while focusing ahead to the goals my team and I have firmly in our sights for the next year.
It is an honour to lead this great title in its 240th year and to have the privilege of working with such a talented team. The people I work alongside – their professionalism, drive, energy, expertise and good humour – are without any question the best thing about my job.
This year we have achieved a lot together, introducing new talent to our team – such as the award-winning Dani Garavelli, education specialist James McEnaney and best-selling author Kerry Hudson – building a new culture, and working hard on being bolder as we put you, our valued readers, at the heart of all we do, striving to give you the variety and quality you expect (along with surprising you with new things).
We have a renewed enthusiasm and an eagerness to experiment to ensure The Herald is always moving forward. These are our foundations.
And we are reaching new audiences together, determined to broaden our reach and engage more readers with our work. Our approach to newsletters and social media has changed for example, and we are striving to be different in content areas such as education, changing the narrative and inviting wider discussions within the sector for example.
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But we have not neglected the established content firmly expected from us, continuing to lead the way when it comes to the likes of comment and opinion, analysis and political exclusives, and so much more.
All these changes have, of course, benefitted our digital offering, but our newspaper has been enhanced too. We have a greater variety of content now in print, and we are making bolder decisions with what we use and how we present it. The paper looks striking, and it is thanks to our creative team that we enjoyed worldwide attention with our two exclusive Banksy editions, in June and August, showing us at our best.
There is so much still to do; so much to get stuck into and achieve. But our heads are down and our eyes are firmly on our goals.
The pressures on our industry are real and widely acknowledged, but my team is meeting them head-on, just as The Herald has done as it has been presented with countless challenges, change and hurdles over the last 240 years.
Thank you to our loyal and valued readers. There is so much more to come.
To support our work, please subscribe from as little as £1 here.
Catherine Salmond,
Editor
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