60 years of TLC
53 minutes ago
18 April 2009
Media bias: do the nationalists have a point?
Posted by
Scottish Unionist
at 10:08 AM.
There are 29 comments.
This, by Joe Quinn in today’s Scotsman, has to be one of the worst pieces of journalism I’ve ever seen. Entitled “Salmond stumped by mother’s maths question”, the piece then relates how Alex Salmond was asked the answer to 24 divided by zero and replied “infinity”, which in layman’s terms is close enough; it’s actually undefined. But the journalist thinks it’s zero — patent nonsense.
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I'd agree, it's one of the worst peices of jourbalism I've seen in ages, it also seems to point the finger at Brian Taylor and the BBC.
I'm not one for conspiracy theories but the Scotsman's output is become overtly biased.
They seem to be printing Jim Murphy's press releases verbatim.
The next time their is a Scotland Office story, cross refer it with Jim's Scotland Office Blog and his own website.
“I'm not one for conspiracy theories...”
Your comment suggests otherwise!
oh come on AM2, are you seriously suggesting that the Scotsman isn't just trotting out Scottish labour press releases?
Some of the story's actually seem to be written from the first person for Christ sakes..
It's something that's very wrong with Scotland.
A fairly balanced press and media.
No-one is expecting SNP adulation, just a fair hearing and proper scrutiny of policy AND the criticism of that policy.
I don't anyone would disagree that the SNP won in MAy 2007 DESPITE the media, which on retrospect is quite a feat.
You would appear to have fallen victim to "confirmation bias".
Why does the Scots Independent have such a pitifully low readership? Why did the Scottish Standard fail? Isn't this just market forces?
eh?
I'm not asking for a party political newspaper.
I'm asking for fair and balanced journalism that gets to the core of issues. Are you suggesting that the Scottish Press have on the whole been doing that?
Are you even still in the real world anymore AM2, haven't you noticed the job cuts at both teh Scotsman and Herald?
"confirmation bias"
Yes, a noose on the front page of the Daily Record with a warning to Scots if they vote for the SNP.......
Your right, I'm imagining it.
FFS
The internet has changed the rules of the game and newspapers everywhere are suffering. There is no tangible evidence to attribute that tendency in Scotland to the overall anti-SNP bias which you think you perceive.
Bear in mind that the SNP is a minority party and independence very much a minority preoccupation. The media reflects that, I believe, fairly accurately.
Yes, SNP policies have been thoroughly scrutinised in the media, as was of course the case for previous administrations. The key difference is that so many of the SNP's policies have been found wanting.
oh come on AM2, how can you possibly say that there is no overall bias.
It's irrelevant whether you believe independence is a minority preoccupation.
That encapsulates the problem that I'm alluding to.
That IS bias.
The media do not report on the 'minority' status of the government in the Scottish parliament at all as far I can see. It's all about policies being in 'tatter's' of 'bwoken pwomieth' - straight from labour press releases.
I don't think I could name another country whether every part of the press is so anti one party.
The only breath of fresh air last year was the Sunday Herald proclaiming that it would support SNP in the elections as a way to progress devolution.
By the way, when is Calman due to report?
My god, the Scotsman have finally put out an article that is worse than the claim by the Airdrie and Coatbridge advertiser that psorisis is a disease. It turns out I had not, infact, seen everything.
Did anyone bother checking the article?
I see that a long term Ex labour MP has resigned her party membership in disgust at who Labour have acted in office and in respect of the latest smear campaign debacle.
AM2, don't you think that the recent debacle has highlighted the problem with lobby journalism and that the Scottish media still operate like this with Jim Murphy, ever snapping for his press releases?
The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Sunday Times also endorsed the SNP for the 2007 Holyrood election. Alex Massie wrote an interesting piece on this a few months ago.
AM2
I read massies piece.
"any newspaper that endorses the idea risks alienating the majority of its readers"
That logic would dictate that we live in a one aprty state where the media always tow the line.
It doesn't happen in England so why does it happen here.?
Massie's argument assume sthat everyone buying the Scotsman for instance is a 'unionist'. The reality is that there are many different strands of so called 'unionists' and indeed 'independence' supporters but this just isn't debated in the media without some form of 'snp picks fight' or ' Westminster slams the door' connotation.
It's not about 'supporting' independence, it's about giving all sides of the argument a fair hearing.
Having articles that debate the issue in detail.
A fair press is that really so hard.
"Furthermore, it's worth recalling that the press is vastly less hostile towards the SNP than it used to be"
Massie goes on to acknowledge the ferocity of the anti-SNP bias.
I do not recall the Scotsman or Scotland on Sunday EVER endorsing the SNP, only the Sunday Herald did.
Did you see it AM2.
The BBC were caught out today with Alan Cochrane in the Studio
The daft wee lassie that does the graphics on the Politics Show was caught as the coverage cut back to the studio snorting with giggles with Cochrane as she watched the SNP Conference.
Yes, unbiased media.
Welcome to Britain
The unbiased ex-Labour councillor lassie?
Sandy
Is it the same one, I noticed a 'Catriona Renton' was on the labour list for Glasgow in May 2007.
Is that the same one?
LABOUR: 1.Alan Stewart, 2. Catriona Renton, 3. Stuart MacQuarrie, 4. Hanzala Malik, 5. Anwari Din, 6. Chris Warhurst, 7.Nasim Khan
Catriona Renton was a Labour candidate in the 2003 Scottish Parliament, and 2004 European Parliament elections..
AM2, you call this unbiased media?
So a failed Labour candidate gets herself a job on a TV politics programme. Where's the story in that? What do you want: some kind of quota system? Minority rights for nationalists; is that it?! Or can BBC staff not share a joke with known unionists?
"I do not recall the Scotsman or Scotland on Sunday EVER endorsing the SNP, only the Sunday Herald did."
You're wrong on that score.
I've blogged further on Catriona Renton
http://wardogblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/bbc-bias.html
Her personal facebook lists the following as friends:
Jackie Baille Labour MSP
Yousuf Hamid Labour Activist
Tom Harris Labour MP
Mike Dailly Labour Activist
David Martin Labour MEP
Frank McAvetty Labour MSP
John Robertson Labour MP
John Park Labour MSP
Steven Purcell Labour Glasgow Leader
Dave Watson Vice-chair of the Scottish Labour Party
Is this compatible with being an impartial BBC Presenter?
AM2, have you got any evidence for this 'endoresment' by the Scotsman & Scotland on Sunday.
There is a comment piece floating about for the Sunday Herald which I read at the time.
I would call it a mild endorsement in so far as it simply sought a refreshed parliament with new leadership.
Here is Scotland on Sunday's endorsement. Dated Sunday 29 April 2007, it says that "the Labour party does not deserve another four years in office", "if this contest really is a battle between hope and fear, we choose hope" and, perhaps most relevant to this discussion:
"This newspaper, however, has no intention of becoming a cheerleader for the SNP in government. We are all too aware that an SNP-led administration carries risks. Salmond, although a charismatic leader, is untested in office. There are question marks over the party's fiscal competence and a suspicion that tax-and-spend policies are deeply imbedded in its DNA. The SNP manifesto contains some policies that have serious question marks about their practicability."
"This newspaper believes the outcome would be a resounding victory for our favoured position - a stronger, more responsible Scottish Parliament within the Union"
Yes, that's some endorsement AM2
Like I said, Wardog, confirmation bias.
Maybe take a break? Come back when you're capable of some degree of objectivity?
Scotland on Sunday endorsed voting SNP. Fact.
I'll check the others later. The Scotsman should also still be online if SoS is. Not sure about the Sunday Times.
Bah, and there was me thinking with 22 comments there was an invigorating mathematical debate taking place.
As the divisor approaches zero, the answer approaches infinity. If you think therefore that "inifinity" is "close enough" for a 9 year old then I think your expectations for primary school education are way too high!
I said that "infinity" was close enough for Alex Salmond, not a nine year old!
But technically, positive and negative infinity are the limits of 1/x as x->0. There is no actual "answer".
Two quick things:
1. Published on 2nd May 2007, here is the Scotsman's recommendation that, despite their various concerns, people should vote SNP.
2. Almost unbelievably, the Press Association has made this silly story even worse, by omitting the details by which we can know that Salmond's answer wasn't actually that wide of the mark.
This Guardian article said: “Four Sunday newspapers in Scotland have endorsed an SNP-led coalition or offered encouragement: the Sunday Times, Scotland on Sunday, Sunday Herald and Sunday Express.”
"endorsed an SNP-led coalition "
"or offered encouragement"
It's hardly ringing AM2 and only happened at all following public support in polls.
I didn't say they were "ringing" endorsements. But neither, as you seem to imagine, was it indicative of the "ferocity of the anti-SNP bias" for them to recommend voting SNP!
There's a huge difference between supposedly 'endorsing' the SNP and not 'supporting' Scottish New Labour.