Professor John Robertson OBA
Just about 11 years ago, I published this research report, revealing clear media bias against the Yes campaign in the run-up to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. It went viral in the following days and weeks.
See: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/bbc-bias-and-scots-referendum-new-report/
BBC Scotland challenged the findings and reported me for ‘professional misconduct‘ to my employer – the University of the West of Scotland. After a nervous month or so, no action against me was taken.
In March 2014, I was called by the Scottish Parliament to defend my work. See:
I was followed by four of the BBC Scotland executive, most reluctantly, because they need report only to a Westminster committee and not Holyrood.
The story in full:
For the next year or so, my research was published by Newsnet Scotland. See: https://newsnet.scot/?s=Dr+John+Robertson%27
In August 2014, my one and only hit video The Bigger The Lie – 131 000 views, explaining media bias – was published:
Then at the end of December 2014, I began the blog Thought Control Scotland, later Talking-up Scotland. Since then, there have been around 10 000* posts.
This was the first:
https://thoughtcontrolscotland.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/fracking-fails-to-fracture.pdf
At age 61 in 2012, did my PhD on Noam Chomsky’s Propaganda Model – http://www.synaesthesiajournal.com/uploads/7/3/4/7/73473431/robertson_v1_n1.pdf
At age 63, in 2014, made Professor of Media Politics, University of West of Scotland – never too late.
In June 2022, for this work, I was given the Oliver Brown Award for for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: See:
https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
I often write OBA after my name. No one has ever asked me what it means. They probably think I’m nuts.
Many thanks to all of you who read and comment and best wishes for the future but most of all to my Chief of Staff, social skills tutor, bodyguard and wife, Bernadette.
John R
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Well done! Please carry on. What you do is invaluable.
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When Scotland is independent i will contact the Scottish government and tell them that you should be recognised for your work supporting the cause of Scottish independence .Well done , you are the best at pointing out the outright lies we are told by the BBC , other tv stations , radio stations , newspapers and englands politicians down there and here in our country.
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Keep up the good work Prof! because you can be damn sure that the propagandists at BBC Shiteland will never stop.
Jim
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Well done.
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Thank you for your great work refuting the constant barrage of lies.
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Lang may yet lum reek.
Keep up the good work!
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*yer..
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From Exile, 10,000 thank yous! Best wishes to you and your family for 2025!
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if you didn’t exist we’d need to invent you.
Your work rate is incredible. I hope you remember to eat and sleep occasionally.
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P.S. Where can I get a bit of that cake?
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Your work is both essential+ valuable to partially counter the tsunami of lies/propaganda fomented by the government, msm, + general Unionism.Much appreciated!
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thank you, John! I’m always amazed at the amount of information you collect, take apart, and then put into context for us..
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thank you 🤗
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John you’re an inspiration with simple evidence to routinely dismantle the caustic propaganda of a colonialist British government and it’s agents.
Thank you. Moran taing.
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Well done John and please keep it up,
we need you.
All the best for the New year.
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Well done John. Keep up the good work!
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A Happy 10th Anniversary John. 🎂
Talking Up Scotland is by far and away my favourite Scottish political blog.
Did you know as of November 2024, the BBC employs around 39,000 people across six continents?
The BBC is the oldest and largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees.
But 👇
https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,out-for-clicks-why-the-gap-between-scottish-political-blogs-and-the-mainstream-media-is-narrowing
“Fewer than half of people in the UK now think the BBC – which is subject to impartiality guidelines – is “trustworthy” or “very trustworthy”, according to recent research by YouGov, while just 30 per cent would say the same about The Times.”
The percentage will be a lot more than that in Scotland.
Take BBC Scotland’s The Nine which had over 750,000 viewers when the channel was launched in 2019, but on January 7, 2024 only had 200!
It has now been axed
I gave up on BBC (and STV) ‘news’ a long time ago and it appears many are doing the same.
Talking Up Scotland 🍻
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Many, many thanks to you all for the kind words and support. It’s much appreciated.
I try to do as Noam would do (my daughter bought me the t shirt) and he was still going at 93 -struggling a bit now at 96. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky
I’m a mere 73. My mother made 94 smoking all the way, but my dad only 44 so……?
Think positive.
Best wishes to you and yours
John
Footnote – did my PhD aged 61, on Chomsky – http://www.synaesthesiajournal.com/uploads/7/3/4/7/73473431/robertson_v1_n1.pdf
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Thank you for your time and immense patience. I just wish more Scots would pay proper attention to what folks like yourself and a few other stalwarts of the movement have to say. Unfortunately, too many could not care less.
We know the ferries aren’t perfect, the NHS and the education service isn’t perfect and a whole lot of other services aren’t perfect, but what country on the planet can boast of being perfect in every aspect of their service deliveries? Certainly not our neighbours, yet poor old Scotland and its independence-supporting Govt is subjected to endless tirades of faux horror day after day by an army of unionist political numpties and their media pals. Says more about them than about Scotland.
Thank you for taking them to task, not that they’re paying any attention. It’s just a game to them for which they are very well paid.
J&J
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Excuse me, but that neighbour to whom you refer most certainly can boast about their perfection.
I didn’t say they had any basis in fact for doing this. But when has that made any difference?!
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”May I thank you , on behalf of BBC Scotland , for your continuing efforts to force us to be truthful , neutral and always having the best interests of the People of Scotland at heart !”
signed : Kay(E) Adams , James Cook , Martin Geissler , John Beattie , Sarah smith , Andrew kerr , Glenn Campbell , Douglas Fraser …….
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A very happy 10th Anniversary to you and Talking Up Scotland…..you are invaluable to The Yes Movement, to the fight for Scottish Independence, to The Scottish People and to my sanity….YOU ARE A FREEDOM FIGHTER!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Never give up keep on keeping on…Thank You John!!!🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
JB
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Well done, Prof! I remember well following your work during the referendum. You were one of the few with the guts to highlight the complete unfairness and bias in the reporting and sadly nothing has changed.
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I read this last night and was sorely tempted to ‘ gush ‘, no doubt you are relieved I didn’t, as am I.
Good job 👍
A good New Year to you and yours.
Golfnut
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Well done. Amazing.
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Well done John-your fantastic work opened my eyes to the lies and corruption of the Scottish media and the Westminster Government
Keep doing what you’re doing 🏴
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Coming late to post so all I’ll say is Thank you very much Prof John long may you continue.
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I continually marvel at your relentless commitment to the cause, John. Thank you for all your invaluable work.
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Belated thank you for all your good work, and please keep it up.
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Late to the party, but just want to agree with all the congratulations and praise above. (Especially about the cake…🤤)
I only wish that, like jrtomlin, I’d known about this blog during the referendum. It would have changed my thoughts completely.
Please keep doing what you do BUT it’s up to us to get out there and let those who don’t know about this blog know you’re here. Then maybe next time they’ll be better informed too!
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Fantastic work on behalf of so many of us.
As others have said, it is up to us to continue to highlight the shameful behaviour of what is called the “Scottish” media and to convey instead the actual facts – good or bad.
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Well done for those 10 years, and the rest of course. Lang may yer lum reek.
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Well done and thanks for the all the fine work you have done. I have given details of your blog to many friends. I hope they check it as often as I do.
Always great for settling arguments, especially about ferries.
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Thanks so much Prof John for all you have done over the years and all that you do and into the future. Happy anniversary, you do an amazing job for Scotland and the people of Scotland. 🙂 X
Saor Alba.
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John your are one of a very small number of people who have been essential to the drive for Scottish independence. You cannot be thanked enough for your super human endurance.
By resorting to dirty tricks such as research, analysis, facts, reason and laugh out loud humour you have become the perfect antidote to BBC/BritNat gaslighting.
Watched the full hour of your linked interview in the Scottish Parliament from ten years back it was so good. That tenacity and quick wittedness, like your writing, are a true inspiration.
Wishing you and Bernadette all the best in 2025.
Fraser
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Thank you for all your hard work, John.
This site is educational, informative and has many fine contributions in the comments.
Congratulations on reaching this milestone.
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