The Press and Journal has been praised for its local news coverage at the Scottish Parliament.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson made the remarks during a debate about local television stations.
Mr Stevenson said: “One of the little things that gives us an insight into what the public wants is the circulation of the Press and Journal, which is roughly equivalent to that of The Herald and The Scotsman put together.
“Why is that so?
“It is because the P&J is essentially a paper that is rooted in local news, as it has outposts across the north and north-east of Scotland, with journalists embedded in communities and reporting on what is going on.”
