Thursday, 15 March 2012 07:33
By G.A.Ponsonby 
So BBC Scotland has decided to correct the errors contained in an online article it published on Saturday.
Fully two days after one of the most blatant pieces of politically motivated articles ever published by the state broadcaster appeared as the number one story in Scotland, the corporation quietly removed the offending fiction and replaced it with fact.
The corporation’s decision to amend the headline and text on a Nicola Sturgeon interview piece is a small victory for those of us yearning for mature and objective reporting from the state broadcaster.
However, that it took fully two days before any action was taken on what by then was a piece that had most probably been read by tens of thousands of Scots, and perhaps even more English, is indicative of the malaise we have highlighted repeatedly on this site.
For those unfamiliar with this latest example of BBC Scotland’s very own unique take on what constitutes professional journalism, here is a brief explanation.
SNP Depute Leader Nicola Sturgeon was interviewed by BBC Scotland’s Brian Taylor as a prelude to the SNP Conference in Glasgow last weekend.
The Saturday morning interview was a typical format with viewer’s questions being read out by BBC Scotland’s political editor and Ms Sturgeon answering them.
Mr Taylor asked a question on the banking crisis and how an independent Scotland would have coped.
Here, for those unfamiliar with the exchange is what was said:
Embed Embed this video on your site
The answer, whether you agree with it or not, was clear, Scotland could have coped with the banking crisis and would have worked with England to avert catastrophe, the same way as other countries had with banks that crossed their jurisdictions.
There was another point contained in Ms Sturgeon’s answer, the fact that America, Australia and Europe all contributed to the saving of RBS. Indeed as revealed by Newsnet Scotland as far back as July 2011, the US Federal Reserve contributed a total of $600 billion to the bailout of both RBS and HBOS.
However, here is how BBC Scotland reported Nicola Sturgeon’s answer.
Relied on? – It must rank as one of the most blatant examples of misrepresentation ever witnessed at the hands of BBC Scotland, and that’s saying something. How BBC Scotland managed to interpret Nicola Sturgeon’s words in this way simply beggars belief.
Within hours of the story taking its spot at the top of the corporation’s Scottish online news, staff were fielding complaints. Newsnet Scotland were alerted by several readers and we watched to see if the article would be corrected.
For two full days nothing was done, until Monday when by then the story had disappeared from the main news page. BBC Scotland quietly removed the offending headline and edited the article beneath to more accurately reflect the words of Scotland’s Deputy First Minister.
In doing so, BBC Scotland had demonstrated yet again a corruption that is eating away at its very heart.
But it didn’t stop there, for eagle eyed observers will notice a peculiarity on the amended version of the article – the date/time stamp. Look closely and you will see that BBC Scotland have given as the latest update to the article the afternoon of the interview – 10th March.
The BBC use the 24 hour clock, so anyone looking at this item will be forgiven for thinking that BBC Scotland corrected their online news story within hours of the 09:30 interview.
In fact the actual date/time of correction was two days later on Monday 12th March at around 21:00. News media monitoring site NewsSniffer logs the change at 21:10 – although this may be an estimate.
So, not content with passing off misrepresentation as factual news, BBC Scotland have tried to cover their tracks by showing a wholly inaccurate date/time for the last update.
On Tuesday Newsnet Scotland invited three senior figures at BBC Scotland to explain how this article came to be published and why the corrections were carried out surreptitiously. Our emails were sent to Nicola Sturgeon’s interviewer Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland online editor Tom Connor and their boss John Boothman.
We requested a read receipt and one duly arrived from Mr Connor, so he clearly received and almost certainly read our email. Neither Mr Taylor nor Mr Boothman have responded.
We asked four questions of the online article:
- Was the interviewer, Mr Taylor, aware of the wording in the original article prior to it being published and did he agree with it?
- Did BBC Scotland online editor Mr Tom Connor sanction publication of the original article?
- Who decided that the original headline and wording needed to be corrected and why did it take two days to correct it?
- Why has no apology or correction been published by the BBC?
We are realists and do not expect an answer to any of our questions. We will consider taking the matter further if we do not.
Online news stories on BBC Scotland are frequently updated. This is normal given the dynamic of certain stories and the continual flow of information as events become clearer and facts emerge.
However this was a static interview that required minimal journalistic prowess in order to establish the thrust of Nicola Sturgeon’s answer, the meaning was clear and it was not going to change.
The BBC may defend their ‘inaccuracy’ by pointing out that the video was available alongside. However, how many people would have taken the time to listen to 20 minutes of a thirty minute political interview to hear what was actually said for themselves? – people trust the BBC to report honestly.
Most people would have read the headline and formed their opinion, some would have read the article, all would have been left in no doubt that Scotland could not afford a bailout.
In fact the liability for the bank bailout was not, as Brian Taylor suggested, £60 billion. The liability to Scotland for RBS and HBOS would have been closer to £1 billion – an unreported fact (unless you count Newsnet Scotland and Newsweek Scotland) and one that blows the Unionist scare story over the banking crisis out of the water.
And it’s this aspect of this episode that is most disturbing. This was the start of the SNP Conference in Glasgow, it was an opportunity for the SNP to communicate its message to a mass audience.
The banking collapse has been a fundamental plank of the Unionist attack on an independent Scotland. Given the importance of this issue to the referendum debate it is vitally important that comments and arguments are reported accurately.
BBC Scotland didn’t do this. Instead they set about manufacturing an article that was so at odds with the meaning of the comments it purported to be relating to an unsuspecting public, that one has to conclude that it was deliberate.
How can this be so, you might ask?
The answer is that BBC Scotland must now be considered politically corrupt. The London controlled Scottish outpost is now so badly contaminated that almost every political news item should be treated with caution.
Why has this happened? A mixture of fear perhaps – good honest people knowing that their career will stall should they speak out.
Other explanations include the political leanings of some of the station’s high profile reporters and chiefs.
In a Scotland where support or sympathy for the SNP usually resulted in the career ladder being kicked away it wouldn’t be surprising if those of a Unionist bent tended to climb higher than those less inclined towards Britannia.
Many will recall respected journalist Iain Macwhirter complaining of being ‘black listed’ by BBC Scotland because he was deemed to have been too fair to the SNP. The claim was of course denied, but Macwhirter spent some considerable time out in the broadcasting wilderness.
There are now so many examples of BBC Scotland’s tabloidisation of political news, where stories are managed, suppressed, embellished and selectively reported that it’s now impossible to list them.
Only last night [Tuesday] saw former Labour First Minister Jack McConnell ‘interviewed’ on Newsnight Scotland and allowed to fire off the usual attack on the SNP’s referendum plans, but no-one from the independence movement was invited on to put the counter argument. STV on the other hand allowed Stewart Maxwell from the SNP to respond to McConnell, good for them.
BBC Scotland is measuring itself against a set of broadcasting benchmarks that were designed pre-devolution, they are not only not fit for purpose – they have become corrupt.
When the first Labour/Lib Dem administration was elected in 1999 the template was adequate only because there was no effective opposition to the majority Unionist chamber.
In 2007 cracks began to appear in BBC Scotland’s façade as they tried to force it to fit a changing Scottish political landscape in the aftermath of a minority SNP administration.
In 2011 the façade was shattered completely and we are now witnessing the result of decades of decay and lack of reform. What little quality programming there is, is to be sacrificed in favour of bland predictability, expect more ‘interviews’ with the likes of Jack McConnell and Michael Moore and even more football and violence.
Any news site can make errors. Newsnet Scotland has done so in its time – and has apologised for its error. However, any organisation which distorts the comments of a Minister to such an extent and, in response to protests, simply alters its text days later without any apology is not worthy of its reputation as a balanced source of news.
One interview, one contrived story and no apology – a metaphor for all that is wrong with BBC Scotland.
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Comments
2012-03-15 00:34
I will be sending a copy to my local paper.
2012-03-15 00:34
The habits of our time.
Mendacity, mendacity and always mendacity.
2012-03-15 00:47
They should hang their heads in shame.
2012-03-15 00:50
2012-03-15 14:18
“Nothing to tell here but another labour success, move along!”
2012-03-15 00:53
However, I fear that it is too late for BBC Scotland. They have reached such a low point that they cannot be redeemed. They seem to have got so used to twisting every piece of news to suit an anti-independence agenda that you can’t really see how they can ever change.
After independence, SG may seek to retain the BBC infrastructure, but the news staff’s jobs are on a shoogly peg.
2012-03-15 00:54
Let’s not forget that the original headline was tweeted by BBCNews and retweeted by individual BBC journalists, and that the original article was linked to by countless other sites (quoting only the original headline), none of which will have updated their links.
In the internet age, a lie can be all the way around the world, leaving muddy footprints everywhere, before the truth has even remembered where its boots are.
2012-03-15 10:34
Ditto the ‘technical fault’ on the main BBC website for the SNP conference just there, but its availability on the lesser know political page.
Propaganda 1.0.1. You only need to fool most of the people most of the time.
2012-03-15 00:57
Well done NNS, about time the BBC was called to answer for it’s diabolical news and political coverage.
2012-03-15 01:01
Also repeat a new FB page for a demo against the BBC Jockland propaganda unit.
2012-03-15 10:01
Shared on FB and donation sent.
Also repeat a new FB page for a demo against the BBC Jockland propaganda unit.
How about a rally on Glasgow Green followed by a march with pipe bands to Pathetic Quay, it would be hard to ignore that?
2012-03-15 14:41
2012-03-15 01:06
2012-03-15 01:11
Has anyone emailed this to The Sun ? I know we should have nothing to do with them but if they are a tool then why not. It is a major story the state broadcaster misrepresenting the government of a country.
We should bloody well send it to the Leveson Inquiry !
2012-03-15 10:14
Has anyone emailed this to The Sun ? I know we should have nothing to do with them but if they are a tool then why not. It is a major story the state broadcaster misrepresenting the government of a country.
DONE!
2012-03-15 01:28
2012-03-15 09:33
2012-03-15 11:42
2012-03-15 23:34
2012-03-15 01:33
In the space of a few weeks another warning has been made against the UK AAA ratings.
“ George Osborne faced fresh questions about the credibility of his austerity policies just days before the Budget on Wednesday night, when Fitch became the second of the major credit ratings agencies to warn that the UK’s coveted AAA-rating is at risk.
Echoing the recent decision by Moody’s to place the UK on so-called “negative watch”, which signals that it could be stripped of AAA status, Fitch said a weaker than expected recovery in the economy could jeopardise Osborne’s chances of tackling the debt burden. “
2012-03-15 09:39
Yours read like maybe having missed this article about the ratings: newsnetscotland.com/…/…, have a look, is myth defusing.
2012-03-15 01:33
To report and provide an erronous headline on its own interview was bad and was a digrace as it was. But to then correct the lie, without so much as an apology, just rubs dirt into the wound, but not only that they try and cover it all up by actually altering the time stamp, just smacks of something more darker than just being eithe plain bias or being stupid
2012-03-15 01:47
That’s exactly what Newsnet needs to do.
2012-03-15 02:27
His contact details can be found at the following link:
By the way GA a great ‘investigative’ article, as one would expect from you.
2012-03-15 02:59
I must remember to listen in.
2012-03-15 04:18
2012-03-15 09:02
2012-03-15 06:07
Incidentally, I just checked newssniffer.co.uk directly (i.e. I did not follow the link in the above article, just went to their website and searched for “Sturgeon”), and it indicates that the article has not changed from the original. Your link clearly shows differently, though. Maybe a propagation issue on the web???
2012-03-15 06:38
2012-03-15 06:59
“ Incidentally, I just checked newssniffer.co.uk directly (i.e. I did not follow the link in the above article, just went to their website and searched for “Sturgeon”), and it indicates that the article has not changed from the original. Your link clearly shows differently, though. Maybe a propagation issue on the web??? “
Check again
If you type the following into the search engine you will get a result:
Sturgeon says an independent Scotland would have worked with UK on RBS bailout
..
2012-03-15 08:48
2012-03-15 09:00
2012-03-15 08:59
This corrupt, repeated and blatant gerrymandering of Scottish political affairs by the BBC, always to the detriment of the SNP or the pro independence cause, is just wrong in a democracy.
The BBC is, and has been since 2007, in breach of its charter and therefore should no longer recieve taxpayer funding.
Write to your MP, complain like mad, phone the BBC (politely) on 03700 100 333, and publicise this anti democratic and dishonest behaviour by the BBC. The more certain high level people get continually notified of this, the better.
You might also like to suggest in the consultation on the referendum for the Scottish Government, that you think their needs to be European monitors of broadcast output and the referendum in 2014. Make a noise.
Their was a time, when foreign nations regarded the BBC as honest and accurate, but those days are long gone.
Scotland deserves better. Much better.
2012-03-15 09:29
Well, well what a turn up… Oil has just been discovered of County Cork (RoI).
I wonder if the good ole UK will be bombing their airports as well. Well we know what the Brits are like when it comes to the smell of oil.
2012-03-15 09:37
2012-03-15 15:12
OT
Well, well what a turn up… Oil has just been discovered of County Cork (RoI).
I wonder if the good ole UK will be bombing their airports as well. Well we know what the Brits are like when it comes to the smell of oil.
Quoting Roll_On_2011:
OT
Well, well what a turn up… Oil has just been discovered of County Cork (RoI).
I wonder if the good ole UK will be bombing their airports as well. Well we know what the Brits are like when it comes to the smell of oil.
Quoting Exile:
The poor Irish will be clamouring to rejoin the UK. How can they cope with such a volatile asset? Best let those ‘chaps’ in London handle it, dontyaknow.
GREAT NEWS for Ireland,land of mum and dad’s birth.
Now we’re over here in Scotland, the same for us?
Exciting times.
Good luck Ireland.
2012-03-15 09:32
Extract of an email from Daniel Maxwell:
“Thank you for getting in touch. If I may explain our thinking on this then please allow me to do so. I have disabled the comments on both the Brian Taylor and Douglas Fraser correspondent pages as a rule of thumb. In the interests of allowing people to comment on our stories I have decided to enable comments on a wider range of stories – a recent example being minimum pricing. By not having comments automatically included on two pages it enables us to pick other stories with comments enabled.”
Despite further emails from myself, he refused to comment further.
No doubt many of you have had the same reply.
2012-03-15 10:00
If you have , my reply to Daniel Maxwell would be to question why, since the blogs closed down last October, have their only been approx. 6 stories that we have been able to comment on, and of those, most of them are non-political ?
Thats hardly giving us a bigger choice ?
2012-03-15 10:16
2012-03-15 11:29
Evidence is growing which demonstrates that Twitter can
also help with your search ranking. An experiment by SEOmoz (mz.cm/v8Vaix ) appeared to indicate that a link from a Tweet was a more powerful influencer of
Google’s organic rankings than the same link from a website.
With thanks to Jim Byrne who’s excellent book is worth getting hold of “Twitter for Charities, non profits and the voluntary sector.” jimbyrne.us1.list-manage.com/…/…
2012-03-15 09:52
On the question, what did I like least about the site, I answered:
“You ask if I talk about this site to others; well only to highlight political bias. An example of this was earlier this week a headline stated “Nationalists cheered up by Salmond”. Whatever else the Scottish National Party needs, it’s not ‘cheering up’. The EBC can take this to their london masters; morale in the SNP is very high and members are motivated and ‘cheery’. This was a infantile attempt by the EBC to talk down the SNP. A disgrace, given that my money goes towards funding this rubbish.
And yes, in the last couple or so years I have learnt something new from EBC Scotland. They are biased in favour of their labour colleagues. This can be confirmed with the number of their presenters/commentators etc who are/were card-carrying members of said labour party.”
Will the EBC care about this. Probably not, but I felt a wee bitty better afterwards.
2012-03-15 10:26
2012-03-15 13:20
We’re currently looking for a good articulate speaker to address any media who can accuse the BBC with tact as to not alienate the public who still trust the beeb. If anybody thinks they could achieve this, please step forward
2012-03-17 03:01
gerrysnp@hotmai l.com
2012-03-15 10:27
Their semantical acrobatics might be seen as eccentricity were they not politically inspired. Within a Charter of ‘democracy’ too.
Had such deceit been carried out in the financial field, it could well be termed embezzlement.
2012-03-15 10:30
Meanwile back at the NuLabour funny farm they are arranging the deck chairs on the titanic:
2012-03-15 10:46
2012-03-15 11:31
I’ve argued that a blanket call on BBC Scotland on political bias against the SNP could actually backfire and help to promote the ‘cybernat’ myth, which could turn many people away from supporting such a protest.
However, to question the quality of BBC Scotland’s news reporting is a different matter and could help in support from a wider range of the population.
The BBC can report in whatever manner they see fit, there’s actually very little to stop them. The format for complaining to the BBC Trust is over complicated and requires a number of complaints to be made by an individual firstly to a person within the BBC and then a further complaint to the BBC Trust. It can take months for anything to actually happen, and if the BBC admit they were wrong, it’s often not reported or highlighted in any meaningful way.
In my experience of working for the BBC and having seen the way they operate, I doubt that there would be much chance of actually making them change their ways.
So an alternative approach would be to then try and engage the population in to questioning the quality of the news reporting. If people start doing this, then it doesn’t matter what the BBC write and report as the seed of doubt will be firmly planted into the minds of the people. Thats an achievable aim.
There’s no point in starting a campaign and with your opening shots you alienate half of the people you are trying to persuade. With over two years to the referendum, there’s plenty of time to orchestrate and plan.
So my idea would be to start with a non-specific protest, based around the general quality of news reporting and possibly the fact that the budget to BBC Scotland is being cut again. Highlight that Scotland sends down much more money to the BBC coffers in Westminster than we actually receive back. Question the job opportunities that our underfunded state broadcaster actually provides for media graduates and freelance workers in Scotland. Highlight the lack of regional news reporters and coverage.
These broad criticisms will gain much more support in the first place than an outright claim of anti-SNP bias could. Get as many people on your side in the first place. The more people that start to question what is reported on BBC Scotland, the less effective it becomes as a media outlet.
2012-03-15 11:45
Softly softly catchy monkey. We have two years to go, we don’t need to rush.
2012-03-15 16:09
And the Scottish documentary output is simply awful nowadays – tacky ‘poverty porn’ like The Scheme being a prize example. It’s not just biased, it’s biased rubbish.
2012-03-15 20:43
When you consider that the BBC is effectively a British Government mouthpiece there really is not much we can do to about its anti-SNP stance.
This may sound a little paranoid but when you think about it the Government (through the BBC) actually OWNS your Television so the BBC can broadcast whatever propaganda it wants. You buy a TV but it’s not yours because you have to buy a TV licence to use it and therefore fund the BBC which is the state broadcaster.
At least we have the Internet which more and more people are using nowadays. Sites like Newsnet Scotland are surely the best way to get the pro-independence message across and hopefully counter the BBC Unionist bias.
2012-03-17 03:11
The BBC has its reputation to uphold and its Charter to stand by.
Remember that it gained its reputation from its professional standards (which I for one actually believed that Brian would stand by- stupid me!)
And its reputation for being honest and independent from Reith’s unwillingness to follow Government diktat during the General Strike – he refused to obey Churchill’s attempt to stop the BBC reporting the Press releases of the TUC.
I still expect Patten to intervene in this matter and sort out the claque at Pacific Quay – but then I thought that Brian was an honest professional journalist, so maybe I may face disappointment there too.
2012-03-15 11:03
If people are under duress then surely the BBC are also in breech of their duty of care to them.
Another BBC Scotland reporter has come on the scene recently, surname Daly. Where have I heard that name before?
2012-03-15 12:47
Another BBC Scotland reporter has come on the scene recently, surname Daly. Where have I heard that name before?
Minder, perhaps? The collective similarity with Arthur of that ilk is compelling.
2012-03-15 14:59
Sorry wrong Daly. Just my suspicious mind working overtime. I was thinking of the Govan Law Centre Dailly.
2012-03-15 11:11
Trump sons’ holiday snaps of trophy kills
The sons of billionaire businessman Donald Trump provoked outrage among animal lovers after posing with trophy kills during a hunting holiday in South Africa.
Is this what Daddy Trump means when he says he will do every thing to stop”Mad Alex” from destroying Scotland.The two sons are shown in a photo with there kill,animal lovers are not very amused.
2012-03-15 11:11
2012-03-15 11:18
“The danger is that legitimate investigative journalism will become almost impossible because of statutory legislation, while anything posted willy nilly on social media sites is effectively exempted from the same repressive laws.”
2012-03-15 14:25
Now, is NNS a social media site? Because if the answer is yes, we should invite Iain to publish here to avoid repression.
2012-03-15 15:22
However, I do think they will be working very hard on that. It’s great if it’s someone from China or Syria spilling the beans on their governments activities, when our MPs can then stand up in parliament and pontificate about it, but not when it’s applied to them.
2012-03-15 11:22
The power of NNS lies not in the forum for us to chat to one another.But for us to gather facts and spread them throughout Scotland.
One other point.Yes,we phone or email the BBC to complain about bias.But do any of us ever contact STV to congratulate them on fair and unbiased reporting? I havent,but I’m going to start.It may be more effective than complaining to the State Broadcaster.Could someone provide an email address for STV ?
2012-03-15 11:23
1) Why it is being proposed that Scotland should continue to use the pound Sterling.
2) Since a currency union of sterling is being proposed,to what extent does a Scottish government have full fiscal autonomy?
3) What does full fiscal autonomy mean,and why is it important?
4) What influence will the Bank of England have on the fiscal powers of an independent Scottish government?
5) Can Bankers actually put contraints on independence,an d what are those constraints,as suggested in an article in Scottish Times.
6) What is the solution to resticting the in fluence of Bankers?
There are some very interesting articles in Scottish Times about those topics,although I am not certain that they provide comprehensive answers to my questions.Then again,like most people out there,I am not an economist.The challenge is to communicate with the public in a language that they can understand.
2012-03-15 12:00
Problems start if the economies diverge and one economy starts to struggle and needs to devalue and lower interest rates in order to stimulate growth. You would probably have in place rules to limit deficit which would further hamper attempts to stimulate a flat economy.
A situation not unlike this occurred during Thatcher’s time when the north/south divide opened and high interest rates favoured the buoyant southeast but were disastrous for the north, killing off investment at the time it was most needed.
Independence would mean that RUK or Scotland could adapt to these scenarios which we cannot do at the moment.
2012-03-15 14:57
If we consider for even one minute how acrimonious the independence of Ireland was (UDI, troops and so on), and yet they formed a monetary union with Sterling, then I really cannot see why it would not be a good idea for Scotland to do the same.
I have a feeling many people, including politicians do not know that the Irish punt was in a Sterling monetary union for 50 years.
2012-03-15 11:25
Dear @Ofcom when @bbctrust does nothing about blatant @BBCScotlandNew s political bias, who do you turn to? newsnetscotland.com/…/…
2012-03-15 11:47
However, in some issues, OFCOM will take complaints and issue rulings about the BBC, the most notable one recently being the Jeremy Clarkson comments on ‘The One Show’ about public sector workers going on strike.
It seems that the complaint of ‘bias’ is the one issue that SHOULD be examined by an independent body and not by the ‘so-called’ independent BBC Trust.
So I would encourage people to follow Mark’s advice and not only tweet to OFCOM, but to email them and write to them about the actual structure of complaints and which organisation deals with what issues.
2012-03-15 11:44
My immediate (outraged) thought was that it showed how far wide and deep the BBC had to search to come up with a nasty bit of name calling. It’s only purpose seemed to be to end the conference report with a negative rather than a positive.
It may not reach the same audience as Reporting Scotland etc but it is indicative of the BBC mindset.
2012-03-15 12:19
2012-03-15 11:45
Those of you on twitter might want to inundate OFCOM with the following…
Dear @Ofcom when @bbctrust does nothing about blatant @BBCScotlandNew s political bias, who do you turn to? newsnetscotland.com/…/…
Well said Mark.
This also gets the message through to most people with only a passing interest in politics.
I was at a college re-union recently, the Independence debate came up, it was interesting to see that so many people saw the BBC and ITV as being sponsored by the brit state, telling lies, scaremongering and being generally untrustworthy!
2012-03-15 11:51
For example, take this story released a few days ago:
The journalist has now comprehension of the difference between a Bill and an Act. For people to be prosecuted it must be an Act – crime reporting 101.
I’ve already complained about this factual inaccuracy in the article.
Complaining about every inaccuracy, not just the political bias, will provide even more ammunition in the fight to show this news organisation is genuinely not fit for purpose.
2012-03-15 12:04
It’s about building critical mass. The blatant attempt described above is akin to the photograph BBC Scotland changed in the run up to last May’s Holyrood election.
After the following page was spread far and wide:
…/whatever-happened-to-subtle-propaganda.html
lo and behold the following day this happened:
…/what-difference-day-makes.html
All we have on our side is social media, go to the BBC Scotland and OFCOM facebook pages
Both have walls that allow comments, and spread the above simple message.
2012-03-15 12:25
1) I see that that great English/British national icon, the White Cliffs of Dover are starting to fall into the sea. Draw your own analogies with regard to the future of this crumbling ‘United’ Kingdom…
2) Plaid Cymru will announce their new leader in the National Assembly for Wales today. Look out for interesting developments in my home nation soon.
2012-03-15 12:33
2012-03-15 16:55
Leanne Wood on the 2nd ballot is new Plaid Cymru Leader.
Leanne Wood 3,326 votes
Elin Jones 2,494 votes
(Lord Elis-Thomas eliminated on the 1st ballot)
Expect some radical new thinking from the Welsh Nats from now on. And Leanne is younger than me – so all is good!
2012-03-15 12:28
Also what would the BBC become after independence ??? ideas
2012-03-15 12:33
I did however like the idea that during the Malvinas Conflict, that the islanders used to listen to the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service.
And with all due respect, MAcandroid, you can’t have a ‘dead corpse’ – I think you’re over-egging the pudding there 🙂
2012-03-15 23:01
2012-03-17 13:17
As for the Lib. Dems., their symbol must surely resemble the dead parrot of Monty Python!
Good luck in your Wooden Spoon decider with Italy.
Yours,
2012-03-15 12:34
Also what would the BBC become after independence?
There are no plans for the BBC to become independent.
2012-03-15 12:35
I often think that the London based BBC is actually less biased than the Scottish BBC at Pacific Quay
2012-03-15 12:45
Davy,
I often think that the London based BBC is actually less biased than the Scottish BBC at Pacific Quay
I have thought that on many occasions,but haven’t posted anyting here re London,lest I was displaying signs of paranoia.
So——I’m not the only one who has picked up on this.
I’m lucky,in that I can switch between London South East News/Politics, and BBC Scotland.
The difference in quality and lack of bias between Labour and Tory is astonishing.
BBC down south,is indeed the BBC of world renown.
Devoid of BBC Labour incestuous bias we have here.
Lord Patten—do a Hong Kong on them.Weed them out.
2012-03-16 06:11
2012-03-15 15:12
The tactic has parallels in other spheres of influence too.
2012-03-15 15:19
I’m sure the London based BBC are happy to leave it to the forward troops to do the dirty work. It keeps them out of the direct line of fire. BBC Scotland, it seems, are happy to comply.
The tactic has parallels in other spheres of influence too.
I’m happy to leave it with Patten for a while longer,benefit of the doubt and all that.
I await,but not for too long.
2012-03-15 13:20
Just a little thought, when people start to refer to the BBC as the EBC, I find that a bittie bias, as many of my friends down south in England have no idea of how BBCScotland is precived by many of us here in Scotland. Would WBC “Westminster Broadcasting Corporation” not be more accurate, or am I just splitting hairs. (hard todo when bald).
Also what would the BBC become after independence ??? ideas
You could still refer to it as the BBC – the Biased Broadcasting Corporation. Or the UBC – the Unionist Broadcasting, etc.
After independence, it will become redundant.
2012-03-17 03:19
2012-03-15 12:53
I can’t afford much,but hope it helps.
I’M SO ANGRY about this.
Some day soon,this BBC/Labour in Scotland alliance must be ended.
Lord Patten,we’re waiting.
2012-03-15 13:47
O/T No mention on the EBC site of the final demise of the GCC Labour you would have thought this would have been headline news no instead they are currently spinning the loss of VAT exempt status for the new Scottish Single Police Fire and Ambulance services and trying to Blame the Scottish Government not Westmonster, ye couldnae write this stuff oops!!! they just did the “Rose Tined” liebour glasses are working well at pathetic Quay
2012-03-15 14:10
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – complaining will achieve nothing. BBC Scotland DO. NOT. CARE. Nothing will change.
Newsnet is the only media site that will give any profile to the problem, and Newsnet’s reach is minimal in comparison to BBC Scotland’s. They won’t even bother to reply to your mails.
We can expect more propaganda every day from now till the referendum. I’ve said my piece, and I’ve said what I think needs done. I’m ready to stand up and be counted.
The ball is in your court.
2012-03-15 18:55
I hope they print it as it is widely read in the Scottish MSM.
www.allmediascotlan d.com/index
2012-03-15 14:32
The hottest debate in Scotland is on the constitution so the 5th “non political” member of the panel should be pro independence to balance the three anti independence panellists.
I won’t hold my breath but lets tweet, email during the programmes if it turns out that there are 4 anti Independence spokespersons.
But then BBC may not allow parochial Scottish questions to be beamed to the UK audience when there are lots of local issues in London to discuss.
2012-03-15 15:03
2012-03-15 15:26
Here is an excellent article on BBC Scotland bias. There are plenty of links to other sources too. theregulus.co.uk/…/…
Thanks for this excellent link re BBC bias.
2012-03-15 15:04
2012-03-15 16:39
I’ve read the majority of posts on here and I don’t read any reluctance to demonstrate. If your referring to my post, you will read that I claim ‘demonstration is a good thing’.
My point is about broadening the scope of the reasons why a demonstration is taking place and I offer, in this post and others I have made, some suggestions as to other areas that we may look for complaint.
I personally don’t fear being called a ‘cybernat’, but I think I make a fair point that many people in Scotland may not look on this name as a favourable term nor indeed, one they may wish to be associated with.
If you wish to demonstrate on the sole basis of political reporting bias, then I fear that all that will happen is that you will draw people to make choices based on their political persuasions rather than taking the time, and an objective frame of mind, to fully consider the arguments you put forward.
2012-03-15 16:51
Please sign up if you’re on facebook
2012-03-15 18:31
This fear of being branded ‘cyber-nats/ nuts’ displays the usual Scottish cringe.
No, it really doesn’t. It displays a rational assessment of the impact and effects of a demonstration. A demonstration can be ignored as fanatics; just look at the huge anti-war demo or the anti-fees demos. They achieved nothing and the media focussed not on the issues, but on rubbishing the demonstrators. There is a problem with the BBC but it will not be addressed by waving some placards. Demonstrations against the establishment (and the BBC are very much the establishment) are routinely ignored and smeared by the MSM. Demonstrations can only work by raising awareness of the issues, and if the MSM don’t want the issues raised, then the demonstration is futile.
Demonstrations don’t work. Anger doesn’t work. Public speaking doesn’t work if the public don’t get to hear you.
Evidence works. Reasoned argument works. Overwhelming numbers of complaints work. Using social media works. Innovative ways of spreading the message and embarrassing the target works. The law works.
Demos don’t.
2012-03-16 16:51
2012-03-15 15:33
“What does the BBC stand for?”.
Harmless question.
Essential bedtime reading for BBC workers.
2012-03-15 15:42
I know some people say they are just poor drones reporting what they have to to pay the bills. I think that’s a crock. Also there are journalists in other countries with oppressive, anti-democratic regimes which control the media and use it for propaganda. Journalists in those other countries risk their life and their families lives to stand up for freedom, democracy and journalistic integrity.
I would also query whether the UK can still be considered a democracy with its control of and abuse of the media.
2012-03-15 16:10
“The BBC exists to provide the best quality content to our audience. As a public service organisation, funded by the licence fee, we’re not out just to make money. This allows us to remain true to our original mission to inform, educate and entertain. People at the BBC take this mission seriously and we expect everyone to put our audience at the heart of their work. Working at the BBC is not for everybody. It’s for those with real creativity, an urge to innovate and a desire to meet the needs of a truly diverse range of audiences.”
Courtesy of BBC website..
2012-03-15 17:00
For instance, the BBC College of Journalism – part of the BBC Academy has many online tutorials available for budding journalists. I’ve just been watching a video tutorial from Huw Edwards on ‘how to write headlines’ – and he talks about ‘hooking the viewer’ , ‘ diversity of news’, ‘teasing viewers and leading them on a little’ and many other topics. It’s worth a look.
Link here:
For the Huw Edwards video, look under the skills section.
The website can also be accessed via a link from the bottom of all the BBC’s news pages.
2012-03-15 16:55
On the panel: the former leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy MP, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson MSP, Labour’s Frank Field MP, the SNP’s Humza Yousaf MSP and the broadcaster and journalist Janet Street-Porter
2012-03-15 17:23
Question Time :
On the panel: the former leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy MP, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson MSP, Labour’s Frank Field MP, the SNP’s Humza Yousaf MSP and the broadcaster and journalist Janet Street-Porter
OMG – Good luck,cybernats!
2012-03-15 17:25
FIRST CLASS journalism top of page.
Now Mum and Dad back in Glasgow have sent a few pounds in–newsnetscotland .
Let’s keep this site going.It’s worth it’s weight in gold.
Link near top right of the page.
‘Truth will out.’
2012-03-15 17:35
The trouble is that “nationalism” is just not terribly PC.The mere mention of the word tends to induce bad attacks of the vapours in the outwardly delicate but inwardly mail-fisted cosmopolitan bigots that currently have control of the airwaves.
Of course their jobs are on the line. If independence comes, then the vast majority on the creative side will have to be removed. I suspect they know that.
The correct thing to do is to kick up a fuss and demand airtime and make our own programmes. It might not achieve a lot in practice, but you don’t know until you try, and it’s bound to dent the confidence of any visitors and interviewees if they are met by a chanting mob.
2012-03-15 17:44
It would help if you had a Direct Debit payment method. I would sign up for monthly donations. Is this in the pipeline?
We do have several methods to facilitate donating, we would ask that you use the ‘contact us’ button for more details.
Many Thanks – NNS Mod Team
2012-03-15 18:07
Wonder who provides the headline, BBC or Google?
2012-03-15 18:41
2012-03-15 18:51
2012-03-15 20:33
O/T – my local rag has an open letter on front page asking Joyce to go now: www.falkirkherald.co.uk/
Yes that’s more like it!
I might add if it were any MP or MSP the message should be the same.
But will the decent thing be done?
2012-03-15 19:16
Blatant, subtle, and BIASED
2012-03-15 19:19
Could someone send / show me the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the relevant complaints depts. of the BBC Scotland.
The beeb is the really dodgy one, the Scotsman et al maybe biased just as much as the beeb but they’re at least fairly predictable in the way that they do it.
I’ll get hold of the SNP and see if they can send some material over here for private distribution. Scots returning home need to be informed before they get back.
Thanks in advance …
2012-03-15 20:35
Not living and working in Scotland but somewhere else in the world, we MANY “foreign ambassadors” also want to contribute actively to the independence cause.
Could someone send / show me the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the relevant complaints depts. of the BBC Scotland.
The beeb is the really dodgy one, the Scotsman et al maybe biased just as much as the beeb but they’re at least fairly predictable in the way that they do it.I’ll get hold of the SNP and see if they can send some material over here for private distribution. Scots returning home need to be informed before they get back.
Thanks in advance …
You can contact the BBC Complaints on 03700 100 333, good luck:-)
2012-03-15 22:45
This is not irrelevant here – let’s remind ourselves of one of Adam’s campaigns (taken from wikipedia):
“Broadcast news controversy
“In August 2007 MP Adam Price highlighted what he perceived as a lack of a Welsh focus on BBC news broadcasts.[12] Price threatened to withhold future television license fees in response to a lack of thorough news coverage of Wales, echoing a BBC Audience Council for Wales July report citing public frustration over how the Welsh Assembly is characterised in national media.[13] Plaid AM Bethan Jenkins agreed with Price and called for responsibility for broadcasting to be devolved to the Welsh Assembly, voicing similar calls from Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond.[12] Criticism of the BBC’s news coverage for Wales and Scotland since devolution prompted debate of possibly providing evening news broadcasts with specific focus for both countries.[12]”
Wasn’t there a Scottish report too? Whatever happened to it?
2012-03-15 23:13
Much harder for London if it needs to fight the desire for independence on 2 fronts.
2012-03-15 22:58
Regarding oil.
Here is a nice wee quote from the Fpreign office, as reported in Argentina;
“Hydrocarbon exploration is a legitimate commercial venture and the British government supports the rights of the Falkland (Malvinas) islanders to develop their hydrocarbons sector,”
The FCO also said;
“This right is an integral part of the right of self-determination, which is expressly contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,”
It seems the inalienable rights for exploiting oil, apply only to the Falklands, and most definitely NOT to Scotland.
Source;
See also;
It would seem the London Government wishes to apply double standards, in that in the South atlantic, oil exploitation and self determination are apparently rights which London strongly supports, but in Scotland the answer is NO.
2012-03-16 04:52
2012-03-15 23:39
The New Statesman has a revealing article on Labour in Scotland’s deafening silence on Trident:
“ Yet in their speeches at the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee earlier this month, neither shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy nor shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander made any reference to Trident whatsoever. Instead, both chose to defend the proposition that Britain plays a positive role in global politics, with Murphy even boasting about the UK’s bloated military budget. What’s more, the new Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont also omitted to mention it, as she has done consistently since being elected in December. In fact, during last year’s leadership contest she was the only one of six candidates (including those standing for the post of deputy leader) who declined to respond to a letter from Scottish CND on the subject. “
2012-03-15 23:39
Seems to be old news. Comments are disabled for ‘essential maintenance’!
2012-03-16 00:05
BBC bias plain to see.
They can’t be allowed to continue in this fashion for two and half years
2012-03-16 00:17
2012-03-16 00:23
It is more than likely that the people of Scotland will get fed up with it. After all if you spout rubbish 3 times in a row more people are likely to see it as rubbish.
2012-03-16 00:08
2012-03-16 00:27
2012-03-16 00:36
comment edited by NNS Mod Team
I’m still sticking by the fact as far as BBCs standards go, it wasn’t too bad.
2012-03-16 01:18
ps £500 is a LOT of money to some people, but obviously not to Frank Field.
2012-03-16 04:50
It is only natural to put money high up the agenda. It’s all they talk about in the media these days.
To many folk independence is like a religion and other matters, like money, are not the only or even the primary concern.
2012-03-16 01:38
2012-03-16 00:11
Question Time time…
Did you see Dumbledore wince when the audience applauded Humza Yousaf’s comment on voting for 16/17 year olds?
2012-03-16 00:19
2012-03-16 11:04
2012-03-16 00:17
Humza is a rising star but only third tier SNP yet Labour in Scotland scared to put anyone up against him
2012-03-16 00:20
One time it was Lord Faulkner.
Not a great faith in their Labour MSPs
2012-03-16 00:28
2012-03-16 00:35
QT is a GB programme, and Frank Field has a legitimate point to make about how England needs constitutional change as well.
2012-03-16 00:59
I wouldn’t read too much into Lamont’s absence.
QT is a GB programme, and Frank Field has a legitimate point to make about how England needs constitutional change as well.
Fair point but you must admit Lamont must have been gutted that Charlie missed the plane and Rennie appeared.
2012-03-16 00:37
2012-03-16 01:47
2012-03-16 00:41
You did yourself and ,ok my opinion,your country proud tonight .
I applaud you sir.
2012-03-16 00:46
Thinking on it, this is actually further evidence of BBC bias. Forget about the ratio of unionists to nationalists, this issue pales into insignificance when you compare it with the damage that a single Scot Lab representative could have done to their own cause. The BBC is complicit in concealing the imbecility of Scottish Labour. Next time we want to see Richard Baker and Johann Lamont and just for the hell of it Iain Gray as well. Representing the independence point of view would be Alex Salmond’s cat. Slam dunk!
2012-03-16 00:50
Field taking the standardized Labour Party view about independence because it is not in the interests of their survival.
2012-03-16 01:03
Frank Field’s reponse to Yousaf about the parties coming together was a bit misplaced conidering it is exactly what Labour have failed to do for years.
Field taking the standardized Labour Party view about independence because it is not in the interests of their survival.
Aye, but it was priceless when he realised he’d blundered. Probably didn’t realise slab were so foolish.
2012-03-16 01:10
2012-03-16 01:31
2012-03-16 02:06
2012-03-16 11:10
2012-03-16 01:34
Also, how Yousaf managed not to stand up and shout “YOU HYPOCRITICAL CHANCERS” when they all spouted on about the benefit of minimum pricing on alcohol, well words fail me…
2012-03-16 01:40
2012-03-16 01:46
2012-03-16 04:38
QT tends more towards a Punch and Judy show than serious debate. Going by the applause they wasn’t a surfeit of Nats in the audience.
2012-03-16 02:23
Scottish Labour missing as usual – what a condemnation. They’re gone!
2012-03-16 15:42
If the bare money question is put to Scots, (or anyone for that matter), of course they will be keen. This is what political parties are elected on, including Frank Field’s. It should be remembered it was a trap set by the media.
It’s little wonder that, for many of us, independence cannot come soon enough.
2012-03-16 09:08
2012-03-16 16:14
2012-03-19 23:46
2012-03-18 18:20
Quote:
Thank you for your email regarding the Online report on Nicola Sturgeon’s webcast interview with Brian Taylor.
We agree that the original headline was not an accurate reflection of what the Deputy First Minister said in the interview.
The headline and relevant text of the story have been rewritten to take out references to “relied on” and replaced with “worked with” which is what Ms Sturgeon said in her interview.
Regards
BBC News Website
There you have it! An admission of misreporting from the BBC. An apology would also have been nice but I’ll settle for an important piece of evidence that things are very wrong at Pacific Quay!
2012-03-31 23:16
Trust. I am responding on his behalf as a member of the Trust Unit
which advises and supports the Chairman and Trustees.
I note your concerns about BBC coverage of an interview with Nicola
Sturgeon.
I can assure you that ensuring the impartiality of the BBC is a key
priority for the Trust; it is essential to its independence that the BBC
retains the public’s trust as an impartial purveyor of news and
programming. The BBC is required to deliver duly impartial news by the
Royal Charter and Agreement and to treat controversial subjects with due
impartiality. The Trust is committed to making sure that the BBC fulfils
this obligation, which will of course be very important in the run up to
the Referendum on Scottish Independence.
However, while the Trust’s role is to set the overall framework, the
BBC’s Editorial Guidelines, which set out the values and standards that
all BBC output should meet, responsibility for the BBC’s operational
and editorial content within these Editorial Guidelines rests ultimately
with the Director-General, as Editor-in-Chief.
There is a BBC complaints process in place to deal with instances where
audiences feel that the BBC has not met expected standards of
impartiality. This requires that the BBC’s management have the
opportunity to provide a two stage response to complaints. The Trust’s
role in the process is to hear complaints on appeal, should complainants
be unhappy with the responses they have received from the BBC’s
management.
You can access details of the complaints process on the BBC website
here:
In the meantime, I have passed your comments onto Audience Services so
that they can respond to your concerns on behalf of the BBC’s
management.
I hope this will be helpful, and thank you again for bringing your views
to our attention.
Yours sincerely
Elizabeth Grogan
BBC Trust Unit
Donate to Newsnet Scotland
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