CUTS to local journalism are a worsening threat to democracy, the National Union of Journalists’ Conrad Landin told the Scottish TUC today.

“Local news has been aggressively and recklessly slashed by profit-seeking multinational corporations. They cut staffing levels to the bone, close down local papers, pay huge dividends to shareholders. And then they plead poverty and keep their reporters on poverty pay. The consequence of that is that power is not held to account.”

Mr Landin said the rot had spread from newspapers to broadcasting, with Scottish broadcaster STV announcing 60 job cuts with the closure of the STV North edition of the News at Six, and plans to cease broadcasting from Aberdeen and record STV North content in Glasgow.

“It is clear the current regulatory framework is not fit for purpose. If it can allow the destruction of local news, it does not sufficiently protect our democracy.”