By stewartb:
The level of mainstream media ‘interest’ in CalMac ferry services has been ramped up and highly politicised over recent years. However, in sharp distinction to coverage by the highly resourced-constrained TuS, the highly resource-rich BBC Scotland and others in the mainstream media – those supposedly serving Scotland – have singularly failed to investigate and fully report on the true state of these ferry services. This failure is despite pointing out the economic and social importance of the ferries to the communities served.
As best as I can recall (and do correct me if I’ve missed something substantive):
- There has been little or no objective analysis of the performance statistics (reliability and punctuality etc.) published regularly by CalMac – whether for individual routes or overall. On the face of it, the framing of selective media reporting of service performance is markedly at variance with CalMac’s published performance statistics – not perfect but far from as ‘bad’ as implied by the selective media reporting. So why is this so – a problem with CalMac’s the performance framework or with the media’s reporting?
- There has been no mainstream media investigation to benchmark service performance with UK and international comparators.
- There has been no mainstream media investigation to benchmark ferry fares with UK and international comparators.
- There has been no mainstream media reporting of the extent of public subsidy of the CalMac services and the community benefits that arise.
- There has been no objective benchmarking by the mainstream media of fleet age profiles with UK and international comparators.
- There has been little or no mainstream media coverage of the onshore investments in port infrastructure associated with CalMac ferry services and the local economic benefits that accrue.
- On building new ferries – including ones delivered over-budget and over-time – whilst of course WHOLLY undesirable, the mainstream media would have us believe that not only are such failings rare in the procurement of capital projects, but uniquely ‘Scottish’ and directly caused by a government minister. The framing studiously avoids context or perspective.
- And on the decision taken to procure two large CalMac ferries from Ferguson’s and then to nationalise the yard, the mainstream media studiously avoids any consideration of the economic benefits derived from sustaining employment in the yard and its domestic supply chain. They studiously avoid any reflections on the ‘counterfactual’ – i.e. assessing what would have happened if the ferries had not been procured from Ferguson’s and the latter not nationalised.
And yet, despite the mainstream media seemingly convinced of the endless public interest in ‘ferries,’ no mainstream media organisation ‘serving’ Scotland seems interested in pursuing these rich lines of inquiry for investigative journalism. Perhaps the true findings would hole certain politically motivated agendas below their waterline?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
You are dead right , everyone seems to avoid analysing and explaining what exactly is going on with our ferry service providers (Calmac, CMAL and Scotgov) which seem to be holy cows that are allowed to blunder about making illogical and expensive mistakes.
Quango government doesn’t work.
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”Quango Government doesn’t work .”
But Privatised utilities like English Water Companies and Network Rail and The Privatised Energy Companies etc… all provide great service at little cost to The Public ?
Gies a break , mate !
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I’d like government ministers to be responsible for everything that happens under their watch , not unaccountable quangoes OR private companies , we might get competent people in the job then . Your break is granted.
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Firms such as Calmac conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys – These will never be publicised by MSM as it runs contrary to their purpose of convincing the scottish public that a problem exists through repetition.
Most will remember the example of BBC Scotland’s lengthy propaganda campaign against QEUH – Even today the mere mention of ‘troubled hospital’ or a photo of Millie Main will trigger a negative opinion among some despite never having been a patient of the hospital – Again, QEUH will conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys, but these will never be publicised by Pacific Quay.
It’s not journalism, it’s psychological warfare.
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Well said Bob.
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Calmac conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys
Got a link?
John
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LIARS AND FRAUDSTERS WILL ALWAYS HIDE BEHIND
OTHER DECEIVERS
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Afraid not John, didn’t think to look – Customer/patient/? satisfaction surveys are built into modern management systems, but always voluntary, from the ‘how did we do today’ traffic light buttons to the slip of paper in your boarding documents to the roving clipboard and perma-smile youngster surveying passengers.
My point was actual customer satisfaction is totally ignored in preference to the pontifications of Daniel Peteranna by James Cook’s selected secret writer of the day, or whoever has replaced disabled Semen Williams on any given day at the Herod – It’s all of it a fiction, much as the QEUH saga was….
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The “Scottish Media” could, if it wanted, do some investigative journalism. Ok, it may require a bit of research on what that means first of all.
But the “Scottish Media” are not interested in accuracy, balance or context. Their existence in Scotland now relies on supporting their blessed union first and foremost, hence this ridiculous focus to try and damage Cal Mac, Fergusons and Scottish government as Mr. Poodle has highlighted earlier.
Given the current state of the unionist polling, they are doing a magnificent job.
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