The people and places behind the headlines
This panel acknowledges the important role of journalism within the Dundee community, and how newspapers, magazines, radio – and now social media – continue to inform a local audience on all aspects of daily life. You’ll see real headlines with a local significance, including both funny stories and serious events.
1. Jim Crumley
“Five eagles dead and dumped. And where’s the outrage?” So wrote Jim Crumley, a journalist and nature writer who grew up in Dundee. His work included regular columns for ‘The Courier’ and ‘The Scots Magazine’, along with more than 40 books on Scotland’s wildlife and landscapes. This particular story – about five eagles found dead in the Western Isles – expressed his dismay and outrage at this unsolved wildlife crime.
2. The RNLI Lifeboat ‘Mona’
This story tells the tragic loss of local RNLI lifeboat, ‘Mona’, on 8 December 1959. The North Carr lightship had broken adrift and, when attending the emergency, ‘Mona’ capsized and her crew of eight lost their lives. ‘Mona’ was washed ashore on the east side of Buddon Ness later that day.
3. Brian Taylor
Born in Dundee in 1955, Brian Taylor studied at the University of St Andrews before becoming a journalist. He is a former political editor for BBC Scotland, writes columns for ‘The Herald’, and is the author of several books about the Scottish Parliament.
4. Frank Gilfeather
This Dundee-born journalist and broadcaster was also a former Scottish amateur boxing champion. His broadcasting career began in 1980 with the launch of the regional news programme, ‘North Tonight’.
5. Marie Imandt & Bessie Maxwell
Journalists Bessie Maxwell and Marie Imandt worked for D.C. Thomson. In 1894, they were sent on a year-long, fact-finding mission to investigate the lives of women around the world, and ordered to send back regular reports to the ‘The Courier’ newspaper about their trip. The women visited 10 countries in all, and you can still find a book called ‘Dundee’s Two Intrepid Ladies: A Trip Around the World’ which combines quotes, illustrations and descriptions of their adventures.
6. ‘The Scots Magazine’, 1739 – Present
On 16 April 1746, when the final battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rising took place on Culloden Moor, news of the defeat was slow to reach the waiting public. First-hand letters and accounts of the battle were printed in the April 1746 edition of ‘The Scots Magazine’ and for many Scots waiting at home, this was the only way to find out the fate of their loved ones.
7. ‘The Courier’ & ‘Sunday Post’
Launched in September 1816, ‘The Courier’ has served the Dundee community for more than 200 years. And although the paper now has multiple regional editions – covering Angus & The Mearns, Perth & Kinross, and Fife – it has always been printed in its home city. Its stable-mate, the ‘Sunday Post’, was founded in 1914 and is home to cartoon icons ‘Oor Wullie’ and ‘The Broons’.
8. Eddie Mair
Journalist and broadcaster Eddie Mair was born in Dundee and worked at Radio Tay before joining the BBC in 1987. Career highlights included ‘Reporting Scotland’ and ‘Good Morning Scotland’, followed by ‘PM’ and ‘Any Questions?’ on Radio 4. Eddie also presented the drivetime show on LBC until he retired in 2022.
9. Dick Donnelly
Dick Donnelly (1941-2016) was a football broadcaster, commentator and journalist who had also enjoyed success as a goalkeeper for East Fife, Brechin City and Arbroath. His father was blind so young Dick became adept at describing the action on the pitch, and as an adult, his voice became familiar to football fans across Scotland.
10. Tay FM
Radio Tay arrived on the airwaves on 17 October 1980, via the TV transmitter site at the southern end of the Tay Road Bridge. A month later, it also broadcast to Perth. Today, the station is owned and operated by Bauer, and forms part of the Hits Radio network.