Local newspapers and their websites are the most trusted providers of news in this country. They are also fierce defenders of the communities they serve.
But to train a journalist to the highest professional standards and to deliver the quality of writing and research on which readers rely costs money.
So across Britain a new campaign has been launched #buyapaper which urges residents to purchase a copy of their local title every week. Newspapers have been in existence for more than 300 years –The Oban Times has been serving Argyll, the Highlands and Islands for 157 – and in recent years the online version of this paper and many others has grown exponentially. But the importance we place on the integrity of our journalism has not changed.