{{Short description|Daily newspaper serving northern and highland Scotland}} {{for|another newspaper|Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)}} {{redirect|P&J|the arena in Aberdeen|P&J Live}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Press and Journal | logo = File:The Press and Journal logo.svg | image = border|250px | caption = Front page from 19 January 2012 | alt = | type = Daily newspaper | format = Compact | founded = {{ubl|{{Start date and age|1747|12|29|df=y}} (''Aberdeen's Journal'')|{{Start date and age|1853}} (''Aberdeen Free Press'')|{{Start date and age|1922|12|01|df=y}} (''Aberdeen Press and Journal'')}} | publisher = Aberdeen Journals | owners = D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd | headquarters = Aberdeen, Scotland, UK | editor = Richard Neville | circulation = 20,542 | circulation_date = 2024 | circulation_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/9327 |title=Aberdeen – Press & Journal |publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK) |date=5 February 2024 |access-date=28 February 2024}}</ref> | sister_newspapers = ''Aberdeen Citizen''<br />''Evening Express''<br />''Scot-Ads'' | ISSN = 2632-1165 | website = {{nowrap|{{URL|pressandjournal.co.uk}}}} }} '''''The Press and Journal''''' is a daily regional newspaper serving northern and Highland Scotland including the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness. Established in 1747, it is Scotland's oldest daily newspaper,<ref>[http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=304 The Newspaper Society History of British Newspapers] "1748 ''Aberdeen Journal'' began (Scotland's oldest newspaper – now the ''Press and Journal'')."</ref> and one of the longest-running newspapers in the world.{{sfn|Reid|2006|p=xiii}}
==History== The newspaper was first published as a weekly title, ''Aberdeen's Journal'', on 29 December 1747. In 1748 it changed its name to the ''Aberdeen Journal''. It was published on a weekly basis for 128 years until August 1876, when it became a daily newspaper.
The newspaper was owned by the Chalmers family throughout the nineteenth century, and edited by members of the family until 1849, when William Forsyth became editor. Its political position was Conservative.<ref name=BNA/>
In November 1922, the paper was renamed ''The Aberdeen Press and Journal'' when its parent firm joined forces with the ''Free Press'', which had been published since 1853.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000576/19221121/047/0004 |title=The amalgamation — Lord provost's tribute to ''Journal'' |date=21 November 1922 |access-date=21 June 2025 |work=Aberdeen Daily Journal |page=4 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The merged paper's first edition was published on 1 December 1922.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000452/19221201/244/0005 |title=The Aberdeen press fusion |date=1 December 1922 |access-date=21 June 2025 |work=Edinburgh Evening News |page=5 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Historical copies of the ''Aberdeen Journal'', dating back to 1798, are available to search and view in digitised form at The British Newspaper Archive.<ref name=BNA>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?sortorder=dayearly&newspapertitle=Aberdeen+Journal|title=Results | Aberdeen Journal | Publication | British Newspaper Archive|via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref>
Ethel Simpson, pioneering female journalist, was the first women junior reporter at ''The Press and Journal'', and was also one of the first female chief reporters.<ref>{{Cite book|last=MacDougall|first=Ian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bq-8BQAAQBAJ&q=ethel+simpson&pg=PT584|title=Voices of Scottish Journalists: Recollections of 22 Scottish Journalists of Their Life and Work|date=2013-11-07|publisher=Birlinn|isbn=978-0-85790-613-7}}</ref>
==Present-day situation== The newspaper is printed six days a week and there are six geographic editions every day (seven prior to June 2011). Although for many years a broadsheet, since 2012, ''The Press and Journal'' has been in compact size.<ref>{{cite news|title=Press and Journal publishes final broadsheet edition|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-16528283|access-date=17 May 2017|date=13 January 2012}}</ref>
The newspaper is occasionally criticised for its regional perspective on global events, but the paper defends this stance, occasionally running "proud to be local" advertisements. Just one week after the September 11 attacks in 2001 the paper's World news section totalled just a single half-page.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}
The head office of the paper was located in Mastrick, Aberdeen, and is now in the city centre. As of March 2012 employed 470 staff locally and at branch offices throughout the North of Scotland.<ref name="ContactUs">{{cite web | url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/contact-us/ | title=Contact us | publisher=Aberdeen Journals Ltd | location=UK | access-date=26 August 2015 | date=26 August 2015}}</ref> The current editor of the newspaper is Richard Neville, who replaced former editor Damian Bates in 2017.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/aberdeen-press-and-journal-editor-damian-bates-steps-down-after-15-years-with-scottish-publisher/| work=Press Gazette | title=Aberdeen Press and Journal editor Damian Bates steps down after 15 years with Scottish publisher | date=30 August 2017}}</ref>
The paper, along with the ''Evening Express'' and ''Scot-Ads,'' is published by Aberdeen Journals, who also published the ''Aberdeen Citizen''.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} It has a circulation of 22,927 copies,<ref name="circ">{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49623123.pdf | title=Aberdeen – Press & Journal | work=(Source: ABC) | location=UK | access-date=28 February 2024 | date=5 February 2024}}</ref> making it the most-read and best-selling former broadsheet newspaper in Scotland. Its circulation is greater than that of ''The Herald'' and ''The Scotsman'' combined.<ref name="abcfigures">[http://abcpdfcerts.abc.org.uk/pdf/certificates/13822051.pdf Aberdeen – Press & Journal – All Editions (Mon-Sat) Standard Certificate of Circulation, 2 January 2006 to 2 July 2006] Audit Bureau of Circulations {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061003003510/http://abcpdfcerts.abc.org.uk/pdf/certificates/13822051.pdf |date=3 October 2006 }}</ref> Aberdeen Journals is now owned by the Dundee-based D. C. Thomson media group, after being sold by the Daily Mail and General Trust in 2006.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-21195591 | publisher=BBC News | title=Meeting over ''Aberdeen Journal''{{'}}s printing jobs threat | date=25 January 2013}}</ref>
''The Press and Journal'', the ''Evening Express'', ''Aberdeen Citizen'' and ''Scot-Ads'' were all printed on Aberdeen Journals{{'}} own printing presses in Aberdeen until May 2013. Since then, all titles are printed in Dundee. Until March 2006 the ''News of the World'' was also printed on the Aberdeen press.<ref>Aberdeen Journals Ltd 2011</ref>
==Coverage of Trump International Golf Links Development== The ''Press and Journal'' was a staunch supporter of the building of a highly controversial golf resort by Donald Trump at the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}} The development was against the wishes of many local residents, and on an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
In 2007, the Aberdeen ''Evening Express'' ran pictures of seven councillors who voted against the application under the headline "You Traitors".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ciltscotland.com/arcmr220113.php|title=The Scottish Region Website Archives – Archives 2013|website=ciltscotland.com}}</ref> In 2009, the newspaper announced it would not report anything said by the protest group "Tripping Up Trump", saying it was not "bona fide".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/1961/Tripping_up_Trump_trip_up.html|title=Tripping up Trump trip up : December 2009 : News : Architecture in profile the building environment in Scotland|website=Urban Realm}}</ref> In contrast, opponents complained, the DC Thomson papers in Aberdeen, the ''Evening Express'' and the ''Press and Journal'' gave a large amount of positive press to Donald Trump and the real estate development.<ref name="aberdeenvoice.com">{{Cite web|url=https://aberdeenvoice.com/2013/02/trump-exec-vp-weds-journals-ed-joining-the-dots/|title=Trump Vice President Weds Journals Ed – Joining The Dots|date=5 February 2013|website=Aberdeen Voice}}</ref>
In 2013, ''Press and Journal'' editor Damian Bates married Sarah Malone, then executive vice president and press spokeswoman for the Trump International project.<ref name="aberdeenvoice.com" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharman |first=David |title=IPSO rejects ex-editor's complaint over Scotsman coverage of speech – Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage |url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2021/news/watchdog-rejects-ex-editors-complaint-over-dailys-coverage-of-speech/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=HoldtheFrontPage}}</ref>
==Former journalists== *Bruce Taylor (1948–2024), the first reporter to reach the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster<ref>{{Cite web |last=Linford |first=Paul |title=P&J reporter who was first to reach Piper Alpha disaster dies aged 76 – Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage |url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2024/news/daily-reporter-who-was-first-to-reach-scene-of-disaster-dies-aged-76/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=HoldtheFrontPage}}</ref> *Caroline Phillips (1870–1956), honorary secretary of the Aberdeen branch of the Women's Social and Political Union *Ethel Simpson (1926–2017), one of the publication's first female chief reporters *Jack Webster (1931–2020), columnist *William Forsyth (1818–1879), edited the paper from 1849 to 1878
==See also== *List of newspapers in Scotland
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Bibliography== *{{Cite book | isbn = 978-0-7152-0836-6 | title = Deadline: The Story of the Scottish Press | last1 = Reid | first1 = Harry | year = 2006 | publisher = Saint Andrew Press | location = Edinburgh }}
==External links== *[https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk The Press and Journal]
{{DCThomson}} {{Scottish newspapers}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Press and Journal}} Category:Mass media in Aberdeen Category:Newspapers published in Scotland Category:Organisations based in Aberdeen Category:Publications established in 1747 Category:Newspapers with Scottish Gaelic content Category:1747 establishments in Scotland