Professor John Robertson OBA
This is, for reasons of load, reliant almost entirely on Grog AI but I have checked it over and see no misunderstandings on its part. Critics of that must be asked what is wrong with the content or the sources?
Recent Apologies by BBC Scotland for Inaccurate or Misleading ReportingBBC Scotland, like other BBC regional outlets, maintains a public corrections and clarifications page where it acknowledges errors in reporting. These often involve factual inaccuracies, misleading phrasing, or unchecked claims that can influence public perception, particularly on sensitive topics like politics, economics, and social issues. Based on available records up to October 28, 2025, BBC Scotland has issued multiple such apologies in 2025 alone, continuing a pattern from prior years. Many involve political coverage, where errors have disproportionately affected the Scottish National Party (SNP) or Scottish Government narratives, leading to complaints about potential bias.
Below is a summary of key 2025 instances, drawn from BBC’s official corrections log and public discussions. I’ve focused on those explicitly involving “misleading viewers” or “inaccurate unchecked information,” as per your query. Older examples (pre-2025) are noted briefly for context, as the pattern persists.2025 Apologies from BBC Scotland
| Date | Program/Outlet | Error Description | Apology Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 19, 2025 | BBC One Scotland / BBC Radio Scotland | In an interview with Labour MP Kirsty McNeill, the program incorrectly stated that Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar had criticized Scottish Labour MPs for voting to keep the two-child benefit cap. This was unchecked and misleading, as no such criticism occurred. | “We apologize for this error.” The correction emphasizes the need for fact-checking political claims. | BBC Corrections Page bbc.co.uk |
| October 9, 2025 | BBC Scotland (unspecified, likely news bulletin) | Broadcast false figures on Scotland’s drug death rates, overstating the issue in a way that negatively portrayed SNP-led public health efforts. The error was not corrected on air for over five weeks. | Correction posted online: “BBC Scotland has had to issue yet another correction after giving out false figures relating to drug deaths.” No on-air apology; buried in web updates. Critics noted it as part of a pattern harming the SNP. | X Post by @msm_monitor |
| February 17, 2025 (approx., post-election) | BBC Radio Scotland (Good Morning Scotland) | Falsely claimed Anas Sarwar wanted the two-child benefit cap scrapped immediately, misaligning his position with UK Labour’s and implying SNP inconsistency. This was the second such error since the general election. | “BBC Scotland has been forced to issue yet another correction and apology.” Internal review found it breached accuracy standards; public admission followed complaints. | X Post by @msm_monitor @msm_monitor; BBC ECU Ruling talkingupscotlandtwo.com |
| October 25, 2025 | BBC Scotland News (online headline) | Published a misleading headline on ferry services, falsely implying severe disruptions or failures under SNP oversight. Headline quietly changed after exposure, without initial on-air correction. | No formal apology issued, but headline altered following public call-outs on X. Critics described it as “completely false” and emblematic of unchecked sensationalism. | X Posts by @msm_monitor and @J4m35c4mpb3ll |
Broader Context and Patterns
- Frequency in 2025: BBC Scotland has issued at least 4-5 documented corrections/apologies by late October 2025, exceeding totals from some prior years. Social media monitors like @msm_monitor track these as a “sustained campaign of disinformation,” often politically slanted against the SNP (e.g., exaggerating policy failures). @msm_monitor Overall, BBC Scotland’s corrections outnumber those from all other UK BBC regional/national offices combined in recent years, per public logs and analyses. @ShaniqsDad
- Historical Precedents (Pre-2025): This isn’t new. Examples include:
- February 2024: Misattributed £104-107 billion in UK energy support to the Scottish Government, inflating SNP spending claims. Apology: “We should have said it was the UK Government… We apologise for this error.” scottishdailyexpress.co.uk
- April 2024: Inaccurate reporting on J.K. Rowling’s comments under Scotland’s hate crime law, suggesting legal jeopardy without basis. Apology: “We apologise for any confusion caused and have reminded our teams of the importance of accuracy.” deadline.com
- December 2023: Multiple instances of unclear phrasing on SNP expenses scandals (e.g., iPad data usage), deemed “inaccurate and misleading.” Apology: “We apologise that our language wasn’t clear enough.” bbc.co.uk
- Earlier cases (2017-2019): Apologies for misleading GDP/economic reports, GERS finances, and election graphics that distorted SNP performance. thenational.scot +2
Implications and Viewer Trust
These errors often stem from rushed reporting or inadequate fact-checking, as admitted in BBC’s internal reviews (e.g., Executive Complaints Unit rulings). While the BBC emphasizes transparency via its corrections page, critics argue apologies are “tucked away” online, reaching far fewer viewers than the original broadcast—allowing initial misinformation to linger. Public sentiment on platforms like X and Reddit highlights declining trust, with calls to #DefundtheBBC. @Scunnert2 The BBC has responded by reminding teams of editorial guidelines, but patterns suggest systemic issues in Scotland-specific coverage.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
And that doesn’t include their most recent scandalous headline of ‘Over 1 million spent on sending Calmac staff to Turkey’ only for them to quote the real figure of 23 thousand further down the article.
Headlines matter as most people don’t read the full article.
The Yes movement rightly barricaded BBC Scotland in 2014 for their obvious bias. Maybe it’s time to do it again to let them know we’re not going to put up with this shit.
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We did not barricade them at all. At no time were the BBC Staff stopped from arriving or leaving.
We were all in the Pacific Quay car park and a few of the protesters gave press conferences to journalists at the entrance as it was slightly raised and easier to film at the request of the journalists.
We did however give a good rendition of “Cheerio, Cheerio .. ” etc. to the staff who viewed the car park from the upper floors.
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Apologises, You’re right of course Stephen. Barricaded was the wrong choice of word I should have used ‘Protest’.
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Only five? Wow, should be more like five hundred.
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Who knew blatant lying now breaches accuracy standards 10 years after ‘We’ve seen the emails First Minister’….
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BBC Corrections and clarifications
“The Sunday Show
BBC Radio Scotland, 31 August 2025
In the introduction to our item on drug related deaths in Scotland, we incorrectly stated that the figure for 2023 was ‘1,339’. This was the figure for 2020. The figure for 2023 is 1,172 and we’re happy to correct the record.
08/10/2025“
Who is doing the research at the BBC.
Why was this incident only added onto this section of the BBC approx 5 weeks after it happened , when I know that it was identified and so noted immediately and then reported promptly to the BBC as being a lie, not an error or a mistake.
As to the BBC being “happy to correct the record” well there is a lot of people in Scotland under the (correct) assumption that BBC Scotland are also more than “happy” to report misinformation or rather disinformation.
This is, a regular occurrence with BBC Scotland yet………currently BBC HQ are promoting this below……
An advert narrated by Clive Myrie is part of the BBC’s “Trust is earned” campaign, which highlights the broadcaster’s fight against disinformation and its commitment to accuracy. The campaign was launched in October 2024 and features other well-known journalists.
Included in this is the key elements of the ad and campaign
“Focus on disinformation: The advert directly addresses the challenges of disinformation, including AI deepfakes and the spread of misinformation during major world events”
Myrie describes the BBC’s “rigorous methods for verifying facts and countering misleading information. He states, “The more you try to drown out reality, the harder we’ll work to verify the facts”.
“BBC Verify”: The campaign puts the spotlight on “BBC Verify, the corporation’s fact-checking and verification arm“.
Based on what we all know is happening with the BBC news and political programmes within Scotland , then obviously this BBC ‘campaign’ promoted by their HQ does not extend to their branch office in Scotland. If it did then it is obviously either being ignored or not adhered to……..as there is no trust to be had (or indeed any earned) for the BBC’s news and political output here within Scotland……..and that is down to them and them alone.
#BBCSCotlandFakeNews
Liz S
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DIRTH ROTTEN LIARS
I HOPE ALL YHEIR JOBS ARE STOPPED AND THEY LOSE THEIR EMPLOYMENT
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