Professor John Robertson OBA
Following on from a tale of ‘serious’ concerns in a maternity unit, BBC Scotland’s four morning inserts were all equally concerning and three of them were explicitly linked to Scottish Government (SNP) responsibility as in the first, above, on prison overcrowding.
I’ve discussed several times before how such a morning diet for viewers, especially the elderly and the vulnerable, predisposes them to conservative political preferences and against change such as Scottish independence. For research evidence of this see: Reporting Scotland Darkly – how research reveals only BBC Scotland’s editors select the nightmares to make you so anxious you fear big changes such as independence at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/05/28/reporting-scotland-darkly-how-only-bbc-scotlands-editors-select-the-nightmares-to-make-you-so-anxious-you-fear-big-changes-such-as-independence/
Evidence of BBC Scotland’s far stronger tendency also to associate government with problematic issues, in sharp contrast with BBC Wales can be seen here – New Research finds BBC Scotland is twice as likely to politicise negative reporting, to platform opposition voices and to ‘accuse’ the devolved government at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/06/02/new-research-finds-bbc-scotland-is-twice-as-likely-to-politicise-negative-reporting-to-platform-opposition-voices-and-to-accuse-the-devolved-government/
Evidence of BBC Scotland’s far stronger tendency than even STV to worry its viewers and thus promote conservative electoral choices can be see here – Research: BBC Scotland News constructs a far more anxious and conservative world than STV News does at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/06/30/research-bbc-scotland-news-constructs-a-far-more-anxious-and-conservative-world-than-stv-news-does/
In the second BBC Scotland report this morning, on ambulance staff being assaulted by those under the influence of alcohol, the Scottish Government is again quickly implicated.
Not in the above report, even by the interviewed academic researcher, this:
Alcohol related hospital admissions in Scotland fall by one third after Labour Government ousted and plummet after minimum unit pricing introduced
From Alcohol related hospital statistics, Scotland financial year 2023 to 2024, published today:
In 2023/24, the European Age-sex standardised rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions to general acute hospitals was 548 per 100,000 population and was 3% higher than the rate in 2022/23 (532 per 100,000).
The above rate peaked at 885.4 per 100 000 in 2007/2008, the last year of the New Labour Scottish Government and the trend since, with one-year fluctuations as is typical, such as last year, has been steadily downward from 885.4 to 548, then dramatically plummeting from 669.6 in 2017/2018, as minimum unit pricing was introduced, to 548.
Finally, on private jets not yet being taxed properly, the Scottish Government is connected with this problem. This is a Scottish Government devolved responsibility which has been delayed due to exemptions for Highlands and Islands routes and subsidy control issues. Other than just getting another negative story where they can say ‘Scottish Government’ again, it’s not clear why this has been included. It’s not anywhere on their website and has no new news update element since it was last reported by them in June 2025.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I had to switch it off this morning, I usually try to catch a couple of hours because they often have positive stories rushed through before 7 am, and you can also really see their narratives being built and cemented through repetition and choice of guests. I’m sure I read a comment on another post about how any budding or breaking story in England has to be matched by an equal or worse negative spin in Scotland, maybe a private jet scandal in England is on the cards?
It’s important we recognise, record and report evidence of bias, TuS and MSM monitor do an incredible job keeping up with this day in and day out. But we do need to remember we are luckier than many because we do have a good range of alternative sources to turn to with TV, radio, print media, podcasts and blogs surviving if not exactly thriving. So, if the BBC gets too much for you at times, switch off and watch an episode of Full Scottish instead, listen to a Scottish Indy episode or read something inspiring, opt out of the constant negativity, it’s good for the soul!
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If I wanted to hear ”how sh*t Scotland is ” I wouldn’t need BBC Scotland – there are daily doses of ”Scotland is Sh*T ” from the many English Newspapers posing as ‘Scottish’ .
Their headlines are a daily reminder that as long as we support an SNP Government the English media will denigrate Scotland . If these headlines were about any other nation in the world there would be diplomatic and legal repercussions which would shake the Foreign Office to its foundations .
The English broadcast media is little better .
The only time a ”Scottish” story appears among all the stories on ”The National ”(sic ) news about ”The Nation” ( England ) is a negative story about – Drugs , or Drugs or Drugs ….
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