BBC Scotland Editor:
How can we help our viewers understand and comply with the new Covid measures and so save lives? I know, let’s open with threats from pub owners that thanks to Nicola Sturgeon they’ll have to shut their doors for good.
That’ll help.
RTE in Ireland don’t do this. They help educate the population in the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of the measures, introduced by their elected government, to save lives. It’s almost as if they, RTE, the Government and the people, feel they’re all in it together.
Scotland passed 5 000 deaths yesterday. Ireland has had 2 000. The respective populations are 5.4 and 4.9 million.
Why don’t they see this?
What was that phrase Neil Oliver used? A cancerous presence?
Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a barrel 
It’s odd. There are lots more negative covid things to report than pubowners profits.
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You should send this to every BBC and Radio Scotland presenter, most of their audiences are aware of the antagonistic approach to anything the Scottish Govt says but possibly pointing out this contrast between RTE and BBC might make them think. GMS and John Beattie particularly guilty of causing confusion rather than reinforcing rules
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I should think Ireland has been able to contain the movement of people, Scotland has no such powers. During the first lockdown, it’s a fact that Scotland was inundated with people travelling into Scotland (spring/summer time) from England and abroad. There were no air travel restrictions, no quarantining, no border controls, nothing, all EngGov powers. This is what happens when you have the government next door holding crucial levers of power over your country, even when it’s a matter if life and death.
Maybe that’s why now more people in Scotland are supportive of independence, it’s a matter of saving lives, or having that decision taken by your next door neighbour, to your detriment.
Simple.
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Perhaps the next time some (let’s keep it polite!) confrontational journalist is saying they’ve been contacted by “worried/confused pub owners/relatives/unions/insert group here” the response should be something along the following lines:
Yes, this a worrying time for everybody – and we do understand that. We also know that the fact that infection rates can move so quickly can make it difficult to keep up.
ScotGov do put all the information on the website, but we realise not everybody has access to a computer – and the language can sometimes put people off. So we’ve prepared a simplified form. We’ve noticed that the Irish media regularly update the Irish people and this seems to help people pull together. It would be really good if all media journalists – papers, radio TV etc did this in Scotland.
If we brief you on this will you join us, working in a team with the Scottish Gov and Scottish people, to get the message out there? It’s purely information – nothing political, because the virus isn’t. The first briefing session for any interested organisation will be xxx. You don’t have to attend, of course. But we hope you do to help us get the message out.
They could also ask for details of every single worried person who’s been in contact so that their MSP can get in touch to help sort things out… đŸ™‚
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Good idea, I wonder if it would work? Could the presenters set aside the lets get the SNP mindset to work collaboratively against the virus? Worth a try at least
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Nice idea, but the Brit state and their media don’t do nice, they play dirty, especially when it comes to undermining and demonising the very popular SNP party in government in Scotland. The BritNats must be beside themselves with worry about Scotland’s election next year in May.
2020 has been difficult for the unionists, 2021 is going to be catastrophic for them, politically. Enough to bring a tear to a glass eye, not!
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For the BBC that operates in Scotland there is only one enemy–SNP.
Their endless victim-mongering is a disgrace to honest reporting/journalism.
BBC Scotland represents what Brit Nat Baroness Helen Liddle ( who memorably asserted Scottish Catholics belonged to labour as “our voters”) depicted as the “virus of nationalism”—Anglo-British nationalism, which however, doesnt count among the Brits as real nationalism.
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The modus operandi of the unionist establishment in Scotland has been to undermine the Scottish government by destroying trust.
During this pandemic,however,their Trump like stance in attacking our democratically elected institutions will cost lives.
People are not daft and this will ultimately cost them dear.
The BBC only continue to operate in Scotland through funding by the London treasury and as with other media outlets who rely on deep pockets outwith Scotland for their survival,will soon perish after independence.
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And please do not forget that the peoples of NI. Will be only too well aware of this now
Paricuallry so as the 2 nd wave hits them far harder this time
The Union Jack slowly but surely is beginning to slip down its Stormont mast and the Tricolor that awaits its final removal is being unwrapped for hoisting
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