If, down in Salford or wherever, you’re just reporting the news, there it is above the latest on the Cairngorms wildfire and the folk of Nethy Bridge. It’s the opening sentence in a report, largely based on police statements, last updated around 1am:
Residents of the village of Nethy Bridge, near the wildfire that has been burning in the Cairngorms, have been told they can return to their homes after being evacuated on Friday night. The fire was declared a major incident due to a change in weather, but that has now been stood down by Police Scotland.
The news that residents could return was also announced on BBC Breakfast this morning from around 6am.
But in BBC Scotland, they can tell straight-off ‘that’s not what we’re trying to say’ and it’s still this, around 12 hours after the Police Scotland announcement:
They’re two very different reports.
The BBC Scotland report by Reporting Scotland regular Katie Hunter, is just packed with locals complaining and waits till the fifth paragraph to grudgingly admit:
Police Scotland have since stood down the major incident and residents were told that they could return to their homes late on Saturday evening.
What is going on in the Pacific Quay offices here, failing to tell people the actual news and prioritising the views of two or three locals over those of professionals?
Someone in the BBC Scotland News office said something like: ‘Police Scotland have told the Nethy Bridge folk they can safely return home, should I change the website and put it in the script for Reporting Scotland?’
The News Editor [James Cook?] has then said something like: ‘No just leave it pretty much as it is and add something about the Police Scotland statement a few paras down. Don’t change the headline. As for Reporting Scotland, just leave it out altogether.’
The someone: ‘But, BBC Breakfast are reporting the permission to return every 30 minutes and the BBC UK website has a story headlining it and based mostly on what Police Scotland are saying.’
The Editor: ‘I’ve told you what to do.’
You have to ask yourself, ‘Is there any issue or event they will not try to turn to harm for the SNP Government?
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There can be no doubt but that the BBC that operates in Scotland is a Unionist propaganda outfit, divorced from all normal journalistic practices.
“Scottish” Labour have been promoted in most of BBC North Britain news bulletins since the election, cumulatively more than all other Scottish political parties combined…….”product placement” the advertising industry call it.
The ban on journalists in Scotland asking Burnham questions? Not a squeak out of the BEEB.
gavinochiltree
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Heavy rain in Nethy Bridge forecast all day today.
I don’t expect the BBC to inform the public on the true cause and extent of the fire nor whether it was necessary to evacuate Nethy Bridge, nor whether the SFRS have the authority call out the military helicopters. They platform people with no apparent expertise so long as they have a powerful grudge against the SNP. The real experts are ignored.
The role of the BBC in misinforming the public and potentially causing huge unnecessary disruption and expense should be part of the post fire inquiry. Certainly the insurance actuaries will be interested in the answers.
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