Beyond doubt, a significant number of Scottish citizens are disturbed at what they perceive as a systemic bias in the BBC against Scottish independence. I have read some sixty internet articles to the same effect in the last 24 hours. There is a citizens internet revolt against the mainstream here.
That BBC bias is displayed in the selection of which news stories to present related to independence, in the selection of guests on programmes, in the selection of which facts to highlight within the selected stories, in the comment provided by BBC journalists, and in the treatment afforded to guests, the way guests are presented, the respect they are or are not given and the opportunity they have to present their arguments.
Yesterday’s coverage of the official, civil service prepared GERS report indicating that Scotland subsidises the rest of the UK’s public finances brought these matters to a head.
The BBC’s own journalists presented the report solely as indicating Scotland had a fiscal deficit, without the BBC commenters saying that Scotland’s finances were much better than the rest of the UK – despite the fact that the determination of the comparison is the avowed main purpose of the report.
The BBC subordinated the GERS report to a commentary by the Fraser of Allander Institute allegedly indicating Scotland’s economy was too weak to sustain independence. They ran the story all day but did not reveal once that the Fraser Institute is a New Labour “think-tank”, and its head is the husband of Wendy Alexander, failed New Labour leader, and brother-in-law of shadow Foreign Minister Douglas Alexander. Fraser has an appalling forecasting record, having issued dire and completely wrong forecasts on growth ever since the SNP came to power in Holyrood.
[My dad used to work for Hugh Fraser, a total bastard incidentally]. It is, in short, not a real economic institute at all but another New Labour device to fund undeclared political contributions in effect to the party (cf the Smith Institute).
The GERS report was also subordinated in news bulletings to a “leaked” report about Scotland’s future spending choices. The apocalyptic tone of the BBC reporting of this bore no relation to the report’s contents. They continually showed the report with a graphic of a cover stamped Top Secret – an entirely false graphic actually made by the No campaign and circulated by them with a press release. This leaked report was the number one news story, and television guests invited to discuss it in the course of the day were unionist to nationalist in the ratio of 17 to 3.
Just one day, but part of an unbroked pattern of behaviour by BBC Scotland.
Broadcast media does have a real impact on public opinion and voting intentions. BBC Scotland is particularly influential as there is limited alternative broadcasting which reflects across its output Scots culture and interests.
Fairness in an election campaign is a much wider concept than the process of voting, and fairness of access to broadcast media is an extremely important component of that. It is plain that, as things stand, the referendum campaign will not be free and fair.
Action must be taken now. That necessary and urgent action is for Alex Salmond and the Government of Scotland to approach the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and request that the subordinate Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR, ponounced Oh Dear!) deploy immediately an election monitoring mission to cover the referendum.
I have witnessed ODIHR monitoring operations in action, and once had a job interview in Warsaw to be Head of ODIHR. In this, the pre-campaign period, ODIHR will immediately despatch a small team to Scotland of which the principal task will be media monitoring. They will be guided by this ODIHR media monitoring handbook.
This details what they analyse, including these criteria:
Were election candidates and political parties given equal opportunity to present their campaigns and platforms to the electorate through the media?
Did election candidates or political parties have equal or equitable access on a non-discriminatory basis to public/state media?
Were the relevant types of television programmes, such as news programmes or debates, unbiased?
Yes, ODIHR can and does monitor referenda as well as elections – the guidelines are easily followed mutatis mutandi.
It Salmond asks for an OSCE observation mission, I have no doubt it will be granted – there is a strong presumption in favour of missions within the OSCE, and member states like Russia repeatedly complain there should be more monitoring of the West, not just the East. It is hard to see on what grounds the Unionists can oppose international election monitors. They could not in practice stop it. Russia and Ukraine, for example, hate OSCE election observers in their country but have been obliged to accept them. To refuse would likely mean expulsion from the OSCE.
I believe the reason international observers have not yet been requested is a false understanding of their brief, ie that they only check the balloting and counting. That is not true at all – they monitor all the issues around fairness in a holistic way. Their brief is much wider than that of the UK Electoral Commission. The referendum already having been announced, we are already in the designated pre-campaign period. The OSCE observers would come immediately.
The clock is ticking. Alex Salmond must ACT.
Arbed, I couldn’t agree more. I just commented on the Anna Ardin liar thread about how I believe if well-publicised this picture could do the whole prosecution case a great deal of harm. It shows her character to a tee. “What a heel” as one person who commented has put it. I ought to give the full link rather than a general link to my blog or it will disappear in time. Well done for discovering this.
http://johngossip.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/stamping-on-pricks.html
Character assassination has always been a crude tactic of defence lawyers in rape cases. One reason the conviction rate is so low.
Even if she is a “heel” she still has the right to say no.
Leading political strategists at the University of Glasgow
Issued: Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:01:00 GMT
Senior figures from both UK and US politics will be taking part in two major events at the University of Glasgow, offering students from the College of Social Sciences an insight into how politics works and providing advice to those interested in pursuing political careers.
On Wednesday 7 November a round table discussion on the Political Impact of the UK Leaders’ TV debates will involve contributions from David Muir, former Director of Political Strategy for Gordon Brown; Ric Bailey, Chief Political Advisor for the BBC; Michael Jeremy, Director of News for ITV; and Michael Salter, Head of Broadcasting for the Conservative Party. The event will be chaired by Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_245494_en.html
This Ric Bailey individual has too much control and say. He likes to get ’em young too.
‘Ric Bailey also developed and led a major citizenship project across secondary schools – the Schools Question Time Challenge – which resulted in the first appearance of a member of the public on a Question Time panel in July 2006.’
BBC policy – Citizenship project – self fulfilling prophesies. Keep the evil merry go round going round. Purpose – A real democracy – just like we installed in Libya and are about to install in Syria.
Kempe,
“Even if she is a “heel” she still has the right to say no.”
That’s our whole point, she didn’t say “No” – not once, not ever! Go read her witness statement properly.
Thanks Mary, that Smile was ever so sweet.
The decline in this world is real. It looks like we have still to hit rock-bottom before people wake up. On the other hand, I do meet a good number of young people who seem to be innately in tune with their Wisdom, their inner selves. That is greatly encouraging. Then we see the pettiness of the ‘intellectual firepower’ (LOL) of the little Habba. Well, one just has to laugh off the court jester. Thank God he’s in a minority of one.
I was looking up the MJ anthem in wiki:
In all, more than 45 of America’s top musicians participated in the recording, and another 50 had to be turned away.[11][14] Upon entering the recording studio, the musicians were greeted by a sign pinned to the door which read, “Please check your egos at the door.”[15] They were also greeted by Stevie Wonder, who proclaimed that if the recording was not completed in one take, he and Ray Charles, two blind men, would drive everybody home.[16]
LOL, again!
As for “Please check your egos at the door.”, Craig should hang this sign up on his blog.
But back to our conversation, we are changing human consciousness as we speak. And all it takes is for each of us to do 3 things:
AWARENESS
AWARENESS, &
AWARENESS.
Can we do it?
If we can, we can raise the level of our lot leading to a super-consciousness, very, very, very messy in the present moment. Lets take heart not only from that song but those who created it. Thats one good thing that still comes out of the U.S of A.–music. Thanks go to them for holding the fort!
Btw, thanks for that link on the Rex–have some great friends in the area….perhaps we can take-in a movie sometime–more ha ha ha. Or a coffee if you’re up in London. Habba wanna join up? Perhaps you’re not as ‘bad’ in person–convince us!
Kempe,
PS. Anna Ardin posted this picture herself. Put it out there on her own Twitter account. Then deleted it once she realised how bad it made her look. Same as she did with those inconvenient Twitter posts dated 15 August 2010 boasting what a fine time she was having at a party she threw for Assange two day after the alleged ‘assault’ (but five days before going to the police station with another of Assange’s lovers). In most countries it’s a criminal offence to delete exculpatory evidence of that nature while a police investigation is ongoing.
No one else is assassinating her character – she’s doing a very fine job of that by herself.
Well said, Arbed.
Btw, any chance the pic is photoshopped? What is the source?
Quite a discovery, disgusting as it is. I try, but it is very difficult to show any compassion for this ‘victim’.
Thanks to you John.
Arbed, i see you answered my question…thank you and great day!
“That BBC bias is displayed in the selection of which news stories to present related to…..”
No surprise there, the BBC’s pro Israel ‘news’ was exposed in 2004 and yet in true Machiavellian fashion the Zionists continually shout that the opposite is true.
“In a remarkable and scientific study of the manner in which the main UK terrestrial news broadcasters (BBC and ITV) cover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Professor Greg Philo and Dr Mike Berry of the Glasgow University Media Group have detailed how that news coverage tends to promote the Israeli perspective while ensuring that viewers remain ignorant of the actual causes that lie behind that long-running tragedy.
http://electronicintifada.net/content/endemic-pro-israel-bias-uk-tv-coverage-new-book-finds/10110
Mary says, at 11h22 :
“Mrs May, instead of persecuting Muslims, would have been better employed..etc”
On the assumption that Abu Qatada has been arrested for breaking his bail conditions, how is he being persecuted?
Is being arrested for breaking the law “persecution” in Mary’s book? A, interesting take on the rule of law, if I may say so.
@ Villager (Yokels of the World, Unite!) – 11h00 :
“And then there will be Habbabkuk who has brought upon himself (sic. Do you mean “used”?) more aliases than anyone has been accorded in the history of this blog…”
Which ones would they be, Villager? (Don’t strain yourself, three or four would do)
Not the picture I was talking about but the comments made about the subject.
She might not have said no but she doesn’t appear to have said yes either.
OT.
“Victor Kravchenko”
http://spartacus-educational.blogspot.de/2013/03/victor-kravchenko.html
Habbacock,
“@ Villager (Yokels of the World, Unite!)”
To be frank, when i am speaking with you and to Your Pettiness, i feel rather more like a Village Elder, even though I bet you 10 Pund Scots for every year i’m younger to you.
As for your aliases, i wasn’t referring to your sock-puppeting…that’s your guilt complex; but to the numerous variations awarded to Your Pettiness, no doubt affectionately.
Big search ongoing at Abu Qatada’s house. Wonder what they are planting?
@ Villager (Yokels of the World, Unite!) at 14h27 :
“To be frank, when i am speaking with you and to Your Pettiness, i feel rather more like a Village Elder….”
Well, you certainly write as if you were one – those interminable screeds of yours on Krishnamurti…!
**********
La vita è bella, life is good! (keep comments short)
Mary informs at 14h34 :
“Big search ongoing at Abu Qatada’s house. Wonder what they are planting?”
You are omniscient and all-seeing, Mary, why don’t you tell us?
*************
Around 110 comments so far on this thread, of which 14 from Mary (over a tenth): I on-topic, 4 on topic in part or to seome extent, 9 completely off-topic.
Thanks once again, Mary!
Mary – Ry Vita Is The Best Buy. Leave The Vita A Bella Packet On The Shelf
9 Mar, 2013 – 2:34 pm
ha ha ha, that was one vital laugh. 😀 And agree with your prescription.
I see Ms Wyatt has been freighted down to Las Malvinas to cover the ridiculous referendum. Her report ended with a film of a RAF Typhoon writing a figure of eight in the sky above to show the islanders that they are not forgotten. What crap and what a waste of precious fossil fuel.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21724160
The Habbadabadoo keystrokes are getting faster as the keyboard itself goes into self-destruct mode and flies into a thousand pieces.
Oh dear! I had better go and do the ironing.
And on the previous thread, also about Scotland :
Out of around 239 comments, 23 from Mary (around 10% again) : 22 entirely off topic, only 1 more or less on-topic.
Off topics comments range from a breathless “Vicky Pryce found guilty!” to the usually anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist obsessions.
Thank you, Mary!
********
La vita è bella, life is good! (imitation is the best form of flattery)
Mary at 15h03 :
“I see Ms Wyatt has been freighted down to Las Malvinas to cover the ridiculous referendum.”
Referendum for Scottish independence : good
Referendum for future of Falklands : ridiculous.
You should stick to the ironing and leave public affairs to the sane.
************
La vita è bella, life is good! (inconsistency is no virtue)
Kempe,
“She might not have said no but she doesn’t appear to have said yes either.”
Good grief, she was in bed with the man! When he asked her straight out why she was behaving so weirdly (silently weirdly) – “what are you doing?” – she then said she wanted him to use a condom. After which she got up, went and fetched one, returned to the bed, he put it on, and she continued having sex with him.
Kempe, you’re right, ‘yes’ simply doesn’t come into it…
I repeat: go read her statement properly.
If any so-called supporters of Assange think they are doing any justice to his cause by drawing public attention to a photo of Anna Ardin posing with a dildo-heeled shoe, you are not. The photo is completely irrelevant to the dubious case against Assange and attacking her on this basis will only serve to provide propaganda to the other side.
Very disappointed.
Arbed, I don’t know why you take on the trolls and sock-puppets. They are not on this blog to debate but disrupt. They come here with an agenda, sometimes even a mission. You can waste your precious time on them, but it will never achieve anything. Let them talk to themselves, or even among themselves, but the important thing is to concentrate on weakening the case of those who would like to see a good man’s character brought down by liars, especially since Anna has come out more clearly in her true colours. You’re doing a great job. Save your energy.
The Authoritarians must control the population. Information control has always been a linchpin toward that end. The Media, have either been dupes or co-conspirators toward that end. Pre-crime, or thought-crime, if you will, is the necessary construct for keeping control during the Information Revolution.
“By claiming falsely that reviewing materials, for example, about creationism, makes one necessarily a creationist, or reviewing materials about jihad makes one a jihadist, or that reviewing materials about anarchism makes one necessarily an anarchist, and, further, that reviewing anything or even claiming these titles is the same as actually committing any crime, the surveillance state is effectively abolishing your right to be a critical thinker.”
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/14839-the-premise-of-digital-surveillance-precludes-scholarship#i
Jemand,
Ok, I hear you – that’s why I only linked to Ardin’s twitter post of her photo on the Why I’m Convinced thread.
Of course the actual allegations are not really relevant to the extradition case against Assange – it’s abundantly clear they are merely the pretext for the attempted kidnap (‘judicial’ version) of a political foe. But none of that would be possible without Ardin’s false allegations. And there is solid forensic evidence that they are false.
What can we do? When the establishment media simply colludes with the Swedish and UK governments’ abuse of the judicial system by remaining silent that such evidence the allegations are false even exists – even though it’s been in the public domain for more than a year. What else can we do?
Get rid of English period ! Get rid of there rules rule in house from Scotland for Scotland ! Tell them too go get there own oil ! Through out history they’ve been nothing more than a thorn in anyone’s backside near and a far !
Arbed, you have been the most diligent and tireless supporter I have witnessed. You are sharp. All I ask is that you stay sharp like a razor. There are people who pose as supporters who want the conversation to turn bad and discredit the cause. I suspect someone here of doing just that. I personally do not know Julian Assange and have never met him, but I can confidently say that he has not encouraged or supported any comments against the two ‘official’ complainants that do not address the pertinent legal issues that concern him.
Keep well
H-LVEB above
Referendum for Scottish independence : good ie Because it is a real vote with an an unknown result
Referendum for future of Falklands : ridiculous. ie Because it is a sham propaganda exercise with a known result
If anyone wants to get a BBC Falklands report, do NOT go the World/Latin America page. Go to the UK page and they are under Features/Analysis. LOL
btw The Stasi were good at counting like H-LVEB, keeping copious notes on dissenters and notating everything. Ever see The Lives of Others?
Boycott the license fee until you get free unbiased coverage.