Neil McIntosh (pictured above), the former editor of The Scotsman, is back in journalism after launching his own media business.

Previously managing editor of BBC Online and deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal’s European editions during three decades in the industry, McIntosh left the newspaper in the latter part of 2024 after three-and-a-half years at the helm.

The new venture, Early Line Media Ltd. will see him pen a daily newsletter, The Early Line, which is designed for Scotland’s business, political, and civic leaders. Written fresh each weekday morning, it distils essential news and analysis from Scotland, the UK and the world into a five-minute read, dropping into subscribers’ inboxes by 7am.

Neil said: “After years of watching – and writing about – others taking entrepreneurial plunges into the digital media revolution, I’ve resolved to do something myself. 

The Early Line has grown out of conversations with dozens of Scotland’s business, political and civic leaders. They are people who run things. They desperately want to be in touch and need an understanding of the world to succeed.

Their world has multiple layers – Scotland, UK, world – and a common refrain is that our fragmented media landscape makes it difficult to keep up. I firmly believe I can help people engage with the world while dodging the deluge of clickbait, clutter and trivia masquerading as news that forms a big chunk of the media landscape.”

He added: “The newsletter is a five-minute read, providing bite-size news and analysis of the major events in Scotland, the UK and abroad, along with coverage of the big ideas shaping our world. Every story has links that allow the interested to pursue deeper insight, drawn from the best journalism and commentary out there.”

The Early Line will have a free basic subscription, with a premium tier available (£6.99 per month, or £69 per year) for those who want to support the newsletter, and get access to an entertainment and leisure-focused edition every Saturday, which will be sent to paying readers only. 

Anyone wishing to subscribe can do so at https://earlyline.co.

Edinburgh-based McIntosh, whose post-Scotsman career path will include non-executive advisory roles as well as consultancy positions, added: “These days, much of the best coverage and discussion happens away from traditional brands – on Substack, podcasts and social media. Consuming all those multiple sources to put together a full picture takes time those readers don’t have.

The Early Line is a quick, reliable way to stay informed in a busy world. There is still good, quality journalism about Scotland, the UK and the wider world out there, about politics, tech, business, ideas, entertainment and sport. You just need to find it and I firmly believe I can help.

It is designed for busy Scots, and anyone who cares about connecting the dots in a complex world. I promise to bring clarity to readers’ mornings, and to do what I can to help good journalism be seen, and thrive.”