Falkirk Herald

The Falkirk Herald is a weekly newspaper and daily news website published by National World. It provides reportage, opinion and analysis of news, current affairs and sport in the towns of Falkirk, Camelon, Grangemouth, Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Denny as well as the neighbouring villages of Polmont, Redding, Brightons, Banknock and Bonnybridge. Its circulation area has a total population of 151,600, the fifth largest urban area in Scotland. It was named Weekly Newspaper of the Year at the 2013 Scottish Press Awards.[2]

Early years

The Falkirk Herald and Stirlingshire Monthly Advertiser was established by Alexander Hedderwick, a Glasgow-based lawyer. The first edition went on sale on Saturday, 14 August 1845.[3]

Less than a year later the fledgling title was sold to Archibald Johnston, whose grandfather had first established a printing business in 1763. Johnston moved production of the Herald to Falkirk, and the first edition to be printed in the town went on sale on 13 August 1846. The Herald was the first newspaper purchased by the Johnston family, and the title's increasing size and influence would play a crucial part in growing the company which would become the present day

Modern era

The masthead was changed to The Falkirk Herald and Scottish Midlands Journal in the early 1920s, reflecting the paper's readership across central Scotland. Publication day was switched to Saturday, with a smaller 'pictorial' edition being produced on Wednesday.

Frederick Mair Johnston became managing director of the Herald's parent company in 1936. Under his leadership, the family firm of F. Johnston & Company grew from publishing two newspapers to a total of 24.

His son, Frederick Patrick Mair Johnston, took over the chairman's role, remaining at the helm until his retirement in 2001. Under his charge, the company made its first English acquisition, the Derbyshire Times. Further acquisitions followed in Yorkshire, Sussex and the Midlands.

Circulation of The Falkirk Herald peaked at 40,000 in 1979, around the time production of the paper was threatened by a printer's strike.

The Falkirk Herald left its office in the High Street in 1982, moving a short distance to Newmarket Street. The former Herald building was a branch of W.H. Smith. Now it is the home of Poundstretcher.

In 1988, the Herald's parent firm F. Johnston & Co. Ltd was renamed Johnston Press and was floated on the Stock Exchange. Johnston Press went on to become the third largest publisher of regional newspapers in the United Kingdom. The FJ&Co cypher can still be seen on the former High Street offices.

The paper celebrated its 150th anniversary on 14 August 1995. Letters of congratulation were received from Her Majesty The Queen and Prime Minister John Major, amongst others.[4]

Production and printing of the newspaper moved to Camelon, a suburb of Falkirk, in 2001. In November 2010, all editorial and advertising staff moved to a new office in Grangemouth. A small office in Manor Street was opened to maintain a presence in Falkirk town centre.

Under the editorship of George Guthrie, The Falkirk Herald was named Weekly Newspaper of the Year in 2000 the Scottish Press Awards and also took the title in 2008, 2009 and 2013 with Colin Hume at the helm.

On 16 November 2018, Johnston Press announced it would place itself into administration after it was unable to find a suitable buyer to refinance its debt. The Falkirk Herald and the other Johnston Press titles were bought by JPIMedia on 17 November 2018 after a pre-packaged deal was agreed with creditors.

type	Weekly newspaper
format	Tabloid
founded	1845
owners	National World
headquarters	Gateway Business Park, Beancross Road, Grangemouth (Scotland)
editor	Jill Buchanan
circulation	5,501
circulation date	2024
circulation ref	‡R1R‡
website	falkirkherald.co.uk
issn	0963-2034

Early years

Charity appeals

Modern era

Relaunch

Digital age

External links

References