The Orcadian

{{Short description|Scottish newspaper}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox newspaper | type = Weekly newspaper | format = Tabloid (since 2018) | owners = Orkney Media Group (Anderson-Mackintosh family) | founder = James Urquhart Anderson | editor = Leah Seator | founded = {{start date and age|1854}} (as ''A Literary and Commercial Advertiser for Orkney and Zetland'') | language = English | headquarters = Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland | website = {{URL|http://www.orcadian.co.uk}} }}

'''''The Orcadian''''' is the oldest newspaper in Orkney, Scotland, first published in 1854. At first a monthly paper, it soon became a weekly. The newspaper is based in Kirkwall but printed in Glasgow for sale every Thursday.<ref name="PBailey">{{cite book |last=Bailey |first=Patrick |date=1971 |title=Orkney |location=Plymouth |publisher=David & Charles |pages=162–165 |isbn=0-7153-5000-5}}</ref> It is part of the Orkney Media Group, formed out of a partnership with a competing newspaper, ''Orkney Today'', in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |author= |date=25 June 2007|title=Weekly titles in company merger |work=HoldTheFrontPage |url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2007/news/weekly-titles-in-company-merger/ |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref>

== History == The newspaper was first founded in 1854 as ''A Literary and Commercial Advertiser for Orkney and Zetland'' by James Urquhart Anderson, who established the first printing press on the island in the 1820s, and his son of the same name. The first issues were written by James, while his son printed the issues on hand set type. The Andersons were joined by Ayrshire journalist and editor W.H. Mackintosh when he married into the family in 1877, and since then, the newspaper has been owned by the Anderson-Mackintosh family.<ref name="PBailey" />

During the Second World War, ''The Orcadian'' published a special armed forces newspaper titled ''Orkney Blast.'' A competing newspaper founded in 1860, ''The Orkney Herald'', closed down in 1961, leaving ''The Orcadian'' as the sole newspaper on the island until the launch of ''Orkney Today'' in 2003.<ref name="PBailey" /> Following the formation of the Orkney Media Group in 2007, ''Orkney Today'' was closed in 2010, citing financial issues and low circulation, making ''The Orcadian'' again the island's only newspaper.<ref>{{Cite news |author= |date=22 September 2010|title=Five jobs at risk as Scottish weekly closes |work=HoldTheFrontPage |url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2010/news/five-jobs-at-risk-as-scottish-weekly-closes/ |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Reynolds |first=John |date=22 September 2010|title=Five jobs at risk as Scottish weekly closes |work=Campaign Live UK |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/orkney-today-close-seven-years/1030169 |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref>

=== Tabloid format and modernisation === Until 2018, the newspaper was printed at Orkney Media's printing facilities in Kirkwall. Increasing maintenance costs and a need to modernise saw ''The Orcadian'' cease printing on Orkney to instead be printed at Newsquest's Glasgow printing facilities. This coincided with a relaunch of ''The Orcadian'' on 1 March 2018, with the newspaper redesigned and resized to tabloid format.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sharman |first=David |date=13 March 2018|title=Weekly printed off patch for first time in history at plant 300 miles away |work=HoldTheFrontPage |url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2018/news/weekly-printed-off-patch-for-first-time-in-history-at-plant-300-miles-away/ |access-date=3 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=|date=8 March 2018|title=Orkney newspaper printed off the islands for first time in 164 years |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16071796.orkney-newspaper-printed-off-islands-first-time-164-years/ |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref>

The paper has been edited by Leah Seator since 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bermingham |first=Darragh |date=2021-09-27 |title=Orkney editor: 'We had to be the best we've ever been and keep our newspaper going' |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-40705100.html |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.orcadian.co.uk Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orcadian}} Category:Newspapers established in 1854 Category:Newspapers published in Scotland Category:Orkney Category:Kirkwall Category:1854 establishments in Scotland