Mysterious new media firm starts recruitment

An enigmatic new Scottish media venture promising hundreds of jobs in the industry has started hiring.

Scottishnews.scot state on their website the firm is an “exciting, dynamic new media brand with a vision and passion to be the UK’S largest multimedia platform defining the future of Scottish news”.

When the roles were announced in January, the National Union of Journalists expressed scepticism about the venture, saying the plan to recruit 800 journalists “raises suspicions”.

According to Companies House Scottish News is registered to Paisley-based businessman, John Wyllie.

Very few details have emerged surrounding the site’s vow to create hundreds of jobs on a scale surpassing the number of roles at BBC Scotland and STV.

Job offers have now been made to applicants after an interview process took place at a Glasgow city centre and staff are expected to start work at the end of the month, reported a national Sunday newspaper.

One new staff member said: “I got a call a couple of weeks ago saying that they were going to take me on in the position of digital journalist.

“I’m supposed to be starting on April 30 so I’m just waiting on them sending the contract and other documentation through to me to sign off. It’s a bit unreal to be honest.” The adverts state that Scottish News is looking for a chief editor and 300 multimedia journalists to cover all of Scotland.