Letter from the editor

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March last year The Courier vowed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our readers through the unprecedented crisis.

We knew the news about the spread of Covid-19 would be distressing but wanted to ensure our journalism continued to give you the information needed to make decisions about the health and wellbeing of your family.

Over the last nine months, T he Courier ’s talented team of reporters have worked diligently in the most difficult of circumstance to ensure our coverage is accurate, timely and appropriate.

There is no avoiding the fact the news we have had to report has been extremely upsetting.

Many thousands of people have died, businesses have been destroyed and all of us have been separated from friends and loved ones for too long.

Yet throughout it all, The Courier continued to ask necessary questions of healthcare authorities, local and national government and other agencies to bring you the most up-to-date information about the situation as it developed.

With Scotland once again in full lockdown, that commitment to our readers remains as strong as ever.

The last year has provided ample proof of the value of trustworthy journalism from reputable sources.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have been deluged with conspiracy theories and false information that cause unnecessary confusion and panic.

This can have terrible real-life consequences when people are making decisions about how to protect their family or take part in the vaccination programme.

So The Courier today repeats our pledge to ensure that all breaking and urgent coronavirus-related advice is fact checked and available on our website in the first instance.

We will continue to be published six days a week and will continue to offer home news delivery to our subscribers during this second lockdown.

And we have once again decided to make our web and E-paper subscription pack free to everyone for one month.

This will give readers unlimited access to our website, app and a digital copy of the paper on their home computer, phone or tablet completely free of charge.

This service proved extremely popular during the first lockdown and many readers got in touch to say it was a lifeline for them. We are proud to be able to offer it again.

It costs significant amounts of money to produce the quality journalism The Courier specialises in.

But we recognise the severity of the situation facing the nation and are determined to continue to contribute to the fight against coronavirus.

The vaccine brings hope that the end of the pandemic is near.

It is our fervent wish that this will be the last national lockdown and our readers will soon be able to return to normal life.

In the meantime, our talented teams of journalists and production staff will strive every day to provide you with a newspaper which you can trust and depend on.

In my letter to readers in March, I stressed T he Courier’s importance as a symbol of continuity in a period of uncertainty.

I pointed out The Courier was there for our readers through two world wars, the great depression and the financial crash. I promised we would also be there for them during the coronavirus pandemic. We were. We still are. Stay safe.

CRISIS: The pandemic has affected everyone.