This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Scottish independence referendum has proved to be beneficial for two Glasgow-based titles, the Herald and Sunday Herald.

The papers, owned by Newsquest/Gannett, enjoyed rises in both newsprint sales and in online clicks.

The Herald saw its print sales rise by 7,500 copies the day after the vote, and by almost 10,000 copies the day after.

But the real sales boost came for its stablemate, the Sunday Herald, which was the only paper to come out in favour of independence. Its circulation increased by 64% in September 2014 compared with the September before, peaking at just under 50,000 copies the weekend after the vote.

Online readership went up significantly too, with a notable rise in digital subscriptions, according to Tim Blott, managing director of the Herald & Times group.

He said the papers' website, heraldscotland.com, had "an unprecedented 2.9m users" alone in September. He said:

"Our digital, paid readership is growing faster than ever as a result and, having announced we had reached 10,000 paid digital subscribers by July, we saw that rise to 13,500 in just three months, by the end of September." Strong stories and informed, opinionated insight spark interest and, regardless of how readers choose to access news, the referendum has had a lasting effect on Scots' engagement with the social, political and economic factors which influence their daily lives."

He added: "Too much is made of the demise of print newspapers – we in the industry know that paper is merely one vehicle.

"The true value of newspapers lies in the quality of content and analysis – and the various ways in which we use different media platforms and understand and respond to our readers' needs."

Source: Herald & Times press release