Earlier this evening, STV News asked an engineering expert about the repairs on the Queensferry Crossing, and his firm verdict was that they just weren't a major issue. That was rather inconvenient, given the almighty song and dance the media have been making about the subject, and the STV reporter's follow-up question was nothing short of astonishing -
"You're not a member of the SNP or anything like that?"
That sort of question is just not asked. When you have some economic expert from the "independent and respected" Institute for Fiscal Studies on TV to cast a critical eye over Labour's tax plans, you don't demand to know whether they're privately a Tory sympathiser (even though in most cases they probably are). I'd suggest that STV either have to apologise for this episode, or regard it as a precedent that must be followed for all future interviews of experts, including experts who are making points that are favourable to unionist parties.
Somebody suggested on Twitter that the reporter might have been trying to be helpful - ie. he knew the expert was non-partisan and was just trying to emphasise that fact for anyone who might be sceptical. But by asking the question and broadcasting it, the clear implication was that incredulity is the natural reaction, and that it's somehow amazing that an expert with no political agenda would dare to disagree with unionist parties' claims that minor roadworks on a bridge are the end of civilisation as we know it. It also implies that if the expert had been a member of the SNP, his insight would have been rendered worthless.
The next time an SNP politician is given a hostile grilling on STV, it's hard to see how there can be any complaint if they choose the optimal moment to ask the interviewer: "You don't have any links with the Labour party, do you?"
* * *
We were told to expect a full-scale Scottish poll from Survation at some point this week, but there's no sign of it yet as far as I can see. There was a GB-wide ICM poll a few days ago, though, and the Scottish subsample showed the following: SNP 38%, Conservatives 32%, Labour 25%, Greens 3%, UKIP 2%, Liberal Democrats 1%. Across all polling firms, twenty-three of the last twenty-five subsamples have shown the SNP in the lead.
Initially thought of the helpful aspect but no, under no circumstance can this be described as unbiased, also sets the precedent as you suggest. Through the looking glass now.
ReplyDeleteJames
ReplyDeleteI saw it and thought it was a disgrace of a question to ask. How far are STV news willing to fall, soon rival the BBC in all it;s glory.
Bruce
I missed that - who was the “reporter”?
DeleteDavid Cowan - an extremely experienced & long-serving STV reporter.
DeleteI listened to the interviewer ask the man about being a member of the SNP. Looked at my other half and said. "Did he really just ask that?" Surely this kind of reporting can only serve to open peoples eyes to media bias.
ReplyDeleteBeing one who deplores Reporting Scotland and will no longer watch it, I actually thought this was funny and tongue in cheek. The question was ironic and mocked the BBC by supposing that anyone supporting the Scottish Government MUST be hard-line SNP ‘or anything like that’ to quote the clip. It came at the end of an interview where the reporter was asking questions that sought answers backing-up the SGs actions
ReplyDeleteI took it that such an interview – supporting and reinforcing the Scottish Government and everything single thing the FM had spoken at FMQs – would never have actually taken place on BBC, and that the reporter was conscious of that.
Each to their own though
I took account of the possibility you're suggesting in the paragraph about the reporter perhaps trying to be helpful - and then pointed out why that can't be a good enough explanation. No matter what the intention behind it, if broadcast journalists are going to start quizzing experts about their political affiliations, they have to do it consistently.
DeleteEven if there was no malicious intent in this case, I have to say the idea that it was some sort of conscious satire of Reporting Scotland seems a bit far-fetched.
Even if it was a joke... what an implied insult to the expert's professional integrity. Not about whether or not he was a member of the SNP, about the possibility that he was willing to lie as an engineer, for political reasons.
ReplyDeleteI never watch BBC Scotland or STV "news" programmes, so I missed this latest one.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered what happened to the "journalists" who used to work on old East Germany's Aktuelle Kamera (their version of Reporting Scotland). It seems like they got a job training "journalists" in Scotland,
Wow!
It's another snapshot of the political-managerial-meeja's class's attempt to suggest that it is the source of authority and that facts should be brought into line. Similar in nature to the attacks on scientists reporting on global warming.
ReplyDeletePoor auld jock moaning machine at it again.
ReplyDeleteHow'd your last psychiatric assessment go?
DeleteAs opposed to unionist self serving serfs asking offensive questions.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you make off the jock daily Pravda having a go at Kate Hoey over the UK/Irish Border. Totally misquoting her. So much for jocko honesty eh!
DeleteI caught this clip and assumed it was the sort of off the cuff remark not intended for broadcast , a sort of pre-interview preamble , lets hope it was a genuine mistake and not a testing of the waters for future ( propaganda ) eh news items .
ReplyDeleteStopped watching any form of Broadcast Made in Scotland as every single item BBC or STV has the cleuchs of the British State meddling in it one way or another. I am fast moving to the position that 'The Alex Salmond show' on RT is the first time in Broadcasting History that we have a Scottish Broadcast,albeit on a Russian Channel.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the EU saying, today, that if the UK's "solution" to the Irish/N Irish Border Brexit Problem is not acceptable to Ireland, it is not acceptable to the EU.
ReplyDeleteThe UK is being reminded just how powerful a small, independent nation of a mere 4 million people, actually is.
Put very simply.....Ireland could Veto any Brexit deal it does not like and there is absolutely nothing that those Unionist Tory Tits in WM can do about it.........
Gonna be a very satisfying weekend.
Auld Francis the English hater still in la la land. Hope paddie does veto and the UK crashes out... The EU will have to subsidise paddie the way they did with Greece!
Delete"Paddies" eh?
DeleteWell seen who is the hater, here.
Yer wee Brexit-Yoon World is falling to bits right in front of you, you plank - but you are to thick to see it.
Wonderful to watch pond-life like you getting stood on.
Never mind, sonny - there will always be a spot for you, in the B&Q timber dept.
Your brexit fae the Union fell apart September 2014...Love yer nat si insults ya auld fudd...I do appreciate that it will be difficult for you being unable to have Scotland on its knees crawlin tae the EU.. You could end it and quietly sink into your pond.. You will not be missed that is the only certainty in your life paddie me bhoy.
DeleteSeems just a tad sinister. To have questioned the engineer's integrity on national tv, and imply that if he was a member of the SNP that his expertise may somehow be inadequate, is nothing short of trial by media!
ReplyDeleteWhy did the interviewer not ask if the guy is a member of a unionist party, we all know exactly why.
Does the interviewer have links with the tory or labour party?
His question was clearly to attempt to plant the seeds of doubt into the audiences minds, 'Oh, of course, how do I know this guy is not just an SNP spokesman and therefore a fraud?'
Absolutely disgusting tactic from STV. This will not be the last time we hear of this propaganda tactic being used to manipulate those gullible enough to believe the state run media UK 2017.
You nat sis have run out of propaganda (lies) tactics. NATO, the Monarchy a Currency. You are done finished and you know it.
DeleteHerr Francis, paddy me bhoy is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo track 29 you are on and going in the wrang direction?
We should have a national holiday every year to demonstrate our freedom from the EU...12th of July would be a suitable date to be shared with our NI comrades.
If you expected leaving the EU to lead to more public holidays in the UK, you have a bit of a surprise coming.
DeleteThere will be loads of public holidays once the UK leaves the EU. It's called "unemployment".
DeleteThe words of a soothsayer. Gie us some merr soothe!
Delete