They sound like a right bunch of Edinburgh chancers.

Now, now, Gnasher. Let's see what comes of it!

I wonder whether they will pay much heed to comments posted on articles on this web site?

Will they, for example, do something about the blatant unionist and New Labour bias shown so often by this newspaper? Or is it like Gnasher, #1, says, "a right bunch of Edinburgh chancers", and unionists to boot?

Here's one for you panel.

Why can't we comment on a lawyer who not only has child porn on his computer, but tries to arrange for sex with an eleven year old girl?

I wan't to know why he didn't go to gaol or, apparently, get placed on the perverts register.

Is the Scotsman protecting lawyers now?

Here's another thought for the panel. How about having a section for questions to the panel?

"No panel can be ever entirely representative, but those on it come from many of the sections of society that are at the heart of The Scotsman 's reporting"

Well you certainly got THAT bit right! Does this mean most Scotsman readers are all middle/upper class highly intellectual and rich members of the 'chattering classes' then? How about the school teacher from Inverness, the social worker from Fife, civil servant from Glasgow, the small businessman from Buckie etc etc?

Sounds OK to me, a lot of them are their own people. We could be described as the chattering classes, a few jars, a right hump and some paper that is willing to print our bellyaches. You have never had it so good, as somebody said somewhen.

Why no representative from the Church of Scotland on the panel?

Heartening to see Fred Forrester on board ; the voice of reason and a true champion of the underdog.

The first thing to go should be the tabloid format of the newspaper.

It has been coincident with a marked downturn in the quality of the journalism in the paper, but the chief annoyance has been the tabloid format itself. Takes longer to read, longer to find particular sections, makes the adverts more visible (was that the intention of going tabloid?) etc.

They could also junk the guy who has written a column every week which basically states that he is a bad golfer.

Ummm

No-one from the muslim community?

No-one from the Sikh community?

No-one from Chinese, Pakistani, Indian, African, European community?

Not terribly representative unless you're white, middle-class and Scottish ...

Good luck Scotsman , a step in the right Direction.

Spondoolicks has a very good point though. Edinburgh is starting to look like it HASNT been ethnically cleansed and your staff and Panel should reflect it.

How about - generally and I mean this in a nice way- stopping the grumpy calvanist resitance to change on every front?

I don't often agree with Spoondoolicks .... but he/she's right on the money with this one.

Hardly representative of MY community .... and where's the not-so-high-powered-business-or-intelligentsia common ordinary working-class man and/or woman off the street? Don't any of US count to be on your selective panel?? Even though there's very many more of us than them?

Not ONE of these people can relate to me or people I know in any real way.

Spondoolicks has a valid point. In the INTRIM , all faiths and creeds have a true champion in the aforementioned Fred Forrester...Our parliament/s are greatly the poorer for not having him at the heart of compassionate decision-making.

'In the INTRIM , all faiths and creeds have a true champion in the aforementioned Fred Forrester..'

Not really as good as the real thing tho'?

#11 No one from the Buckfast drinkers in Wine Alley either, but they all live in Glasgow, don't they?

4. Guga, Rockall good point, maybe the Scotsman should let everyone know what the criteria is for having comments.

In the meantime I think its awfully sad that the paper version of the Scotsman is down to 16! or will this increase it to 16?

The vast majority of the panel seem to be right-wing Edinburgh establishment figures. I doubt they are going to help stem the circulation decline - given that the paper's problem is that it is seen as a right-wing Edinburgh establishment paper.......

Personally If I want to read Edinburgh news I will buy the Evening News, it is slightly informative and a good laugh at the same time (most local rags are).

If I want to knw whats happening in the world , ill read the Independent ( who have GOOD journalists that actually know what they are talking about) or watch the BBC.

The problem here is that not enough actually happens in Scotland to be of merit- and The scotsman has ALL those pages to fill , mostly with garbage.

I expect and like it from the EEN, not so much with a paper which purports to be a Broadsheet.

To me the problem is in the name. THE SCOTSMAN. Try to forget it for while ,a dn try not to fall into the trap of putting a ridiculous scottish slants on everthing you report, theres really no need.