As reported elsewhere, Metro Scotland is no more with questions remaining if the edition in Scotland will now be identical to the London edition or if there will be regional pages slotted in (just written and subbed in London)? Either way, it’s sad to see more journalists made redundant and it’s also a blow for PR companies in Scotland who will have one less outlet to inform people about companies and clients.

Boo bloody hoo you might say to that, but it is a shame. For all people think PR is all about the dark arts, shouting at reporters and holding back information, it’s not. Good PR is about informing people of changes to a company – service changes, staff changes, location changes – that can influence share price or even the staff you attract. It can be about informing on new products, making sure the right people learn about the products. And sometimes it’s just about brightening up your day with a PR stunt. It can also be about making sure lies aren’t spread about products, making sure consumers are well-informed.

And if there aren’t outlets for PRs to tell the public about new items or to grow, then audiences won’t grow which makes it harder for sales to grow and if sales don’t increase, staffing levels certainly won’t, which means that at best a company stands still, but historically has normally shown that it declines – and staffing numbers go down. And that hits everybody.

UPDATE: All Media Scotland has an update on the situation regarding copy. There will still be Scottish news and material used.