Wings Over Scotland

Wings Over Scotland
Type of site
Blog
Created byStuart Campbell
EditorStuart Campbell
Revenue£700,000[1]
URLwingsoverscotland.com
CommercialNo
Launched2011
Current statusActive

Wings Over Scotland is a pro-Scottish independence blog created and maintained by Scottish video game journalist Stuart Campbell. It was launched in November 2011 with the stated aim of providing a "fair and honest perspective on Scottish politics" with a pro-independence slant.

The blog is known for its challenge to traditional media and successful use of crowdfunding, along with its controversial reporting style described as "somewhere between Gonzo and WWE" by then-STV columnist Stephen Daisley.[2] Kevin McKenna of The Observer praised Campbell as someone who "doesn’t retreat and gets into fights with everyone", adding "Newspapers used to be like that too. I like his style",[3] whereas Daily Record editor Murray Foote, whose newspaper had been subject to considerable unfavourable scrutiny by the site,[4] called it "A world of conspiracy theories, hatred and paranoia", representing "a brand of nationalism that seeks to peddle falsehoods and unfounded allegations against anyone who isn't a believer. It is nasty, sewage politics that debases public life."[5] In October 2015, Scottish Labour's then-leader Kezia Dugdale told The Scotsman newspaper: "My dad will see something on Wings Over Scotland and post it. For him, it is as relevant a source as the Financial Times".[6]

In April 2016, Wings attracted over 250,000 readers a month.[7] It has raised in excess of £850,000[8][9][10][11] since 2013 in a series of crowdfunding initiatives to fund its work.[1]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Guardian 27Oct2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Daisley, Stephen (20 June 2014). "Analysis: Wings over Scotland and changing face of Scottish media". STV News. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  3. ^ McKenna, Kevin (30 March 2014). "More power to Glasgow's online journalists". The Observer. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Setting the Record straight". 20 February 2015.
  5. ^ Foote, Murray (25 February 2015). "Wings Over Scotland website fuels hatred and paranoia". Daily Record. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  6. ^ Garavelli, Dani (24 October 2015). "Kezia Dugdale interview: 'I just have my gut instinct'". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  7. ^ Geoghegan, Peter (21 April 2016). "The End of the Scottish Press?". London Review of Books. 38 (8). Archived from the original on 19 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  8. ^ Kane, Pat (21 May 2016). "Pat Kane: Our thriving new media landscape needs your cash to keep up its work". The National. Glasgow. ISSN 2057-231X. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  9. ^ Morris, Bridget (4 June 2017). "Wings Over Scotland raises £140,000 as fundraising target is smashed". The National. Glasgow. ISSN 2057-231X. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Wings Over Scotland: The Final Countdown". 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Last Call | Wings Over Scotland (Powered by Donorbox)". donorbox.org.