Once more, this story sent to us by Brian: ‘Good news is no news’ is the cynical explanation given by many journalists to explain why BBC Scotland only reports deaths and infections and not this kind of thing. ‘Nobody’s interested in that. They want scary stuff.’ They seem to have forgotten that they are paid to be a ‘public service broadcaster’ and not a poor-man’s Daily Mail. On a different tack, but making the same point, why then is the clearly bad news about Willie Rennie and the Lib Dem paedophilia scandal not headline news on BBC Scotland? Oh, you’re … Continue reading Another Glasgow hospital hidden from your view

Our RAG (Research Assistant Glasgow) Brian McGowan, keeps feeding us a steady flow of really positive developments in Scotland’s biggest health board which, along with NHS Tayside, seems to have been identified by, especially, Reporting Scotland, as a repeat target. Finding rare and often statistically insignificant events, they construct a scare story which they can then use to promote calls for SNP politicians to apologise or even to resign. There is a very different health board outside of these media constructs. Here is another true story in its daily struggle to save lives: Glasgow to lead new Mesothelioma international research … Continue reading The Glasgow hospital you won’t hear of in our NoMedia

By stewartb ‘UK 2070: An Inquiry into Regional Inequalities Towards a Framework for Action’ makes a number of notable remarks relevant to Talking-up Scotland! Click to access UK2070-FINAL-REPORT.pdf But before detailing them it’s worth reflecting on this from the report: it’s a sobering reality check on the Union in which Scotland is stuck (for now): “UK 2070 Commission is an independent inquiry into the deep–rooted spatial inequalities within the United Kingdom. There is no longer any real debate about the scale of these inequalities. Whether in terms of health, housing or productivity, it is now accepted that the UK is … Continue reading Scotland 2070 should be celebrating decades of its strategy for equality

Ludo Thierry RUTH Davidson has been urged to resign after it emerged she was paid £7500 on top of her Holyrood salary to appear as a pundit on ITV’s election night show. The former Scottish Tory leader scooped the fee for her role in the broadcaster’s coverage on December 12. https://www.thenational.scot/news/18270177.ruth-davidson-urged-quit-itv-appearance-fee-revealed/ NOTES for context: (National Living Wage stands at £8.21 (per hour) for over-25s: Col. Davidson faced criticism last year after accepting a further paid job as a consultant to a London PR firm, whilst still drawing her MSP salary and expenses. The plan was dropped. The MSP, who earns … Continue reading Ruth Davidson urged to resign

Image: Young Conservatives, Frankie ‘Murdo’ Fraser and Malcolm ‘Milesian’ Briggs in 1963 Contrary [Once more, the writer is not responsible for the headline. The Editor (14) takes the credit] I had copied this over a couple of days ago, but decided it wasn’t that interesting to post as a potential post – I couldn’t think of much to say about it! Except maybe, good research, and interesting findings. But the whole thing seemed like a detail thing, to inform sentencing, which is what this news item says. Hearing on GMS this morning the sensationalisation of it, the suggestion that they … Continue reading ‘SNP to release murderers and rapists under 25!

Ludo Thierry Encouraging to see that the massive electoral victory by SNP/YES in the December Westminster election (82% of constituencies won) continues to give confidence to Scottish Business that the economy damaging antics of Johnson’s tories (threatening to “F— business”) can be challenged and contested by an engaged electorate. Link and snippets below (even beeb Scotland can’t, completely, ignore this SNP gooooooooood!!!!! story): Business confidence in Scotland bounced back last month, according to a survey. Bank of Scotland’s latest business barometer rose by 19 points to a net balance of 15%, with firms reporting more confidence in their prospects as … Continue reading Business confidence in Scotland bounces back!

Note: Headlines are the responsibility of the editor. Stewartb is innocent. stewartb The Herald article today on Scotland’s supposed ‘nasty side’ is framed in a very negative way. And I agree with John that there are indeed examples of ‘sarcasm’ which seem unnecessary in this context …. unless revealing of something else. However, it is notable how the same journalist (as far as I can tell) writes about the same general issue, around the same point in time (17 February) but frames her writing in a completely different manner for a different publication. See this from Holyrood Magazine: https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,new-scots-meet-the-syrian-refugees-who-are-setting-up-businesses-in-a-small_15125.htm Comparing … Continue reading Negative framing for negative readers at the Glasgow Horrid

Alasdair Macdonald Let me state at the outset that harassment of any individual or group because of race, gender, belief, disability, etc is unequivocally WRONG! I was angered to read of the unpleasant experiences of some Muslims on our streets, but, sadly, I was not surprised. I was not surprised, because societies have a proportion of nasty people and we are not exempt and never have been. However, the large majority of us are not. I was also not surprised because of the continuous drip drip of ant Islamic reports in the media and the paradigm used in these reports. … Continue reading Straw men: Exposing the Herald’s nasty side

In the Herald today: ‘HERE’S what anti-Muslim racism feels like in lovely, tolerant Scotland: “I feel scared for both me and my family. When my children were small we were so scared as we were constantly being abused due to being Muslim. I got depression, I even contemplated suicide due to a racist neighbour making our life hell. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18268297.rebecca-mcquillan-time-faced-nasty-side-side-scotland/ Once more exploiting a single case to fake a wider crisis that is not there in any reliable evidence. Indeed, McQuillan’s sarcasm cannot hide the fact that things are different in Scotland. Here are a few: First, see this extract from … Continue reading Could we face up the FACTS that tell us Scotland is less ‘nasty?’

Although tasers have been drawn 22 times since 2016 in the presence of children (under 18), they have only been aimed 7 times and have never been discharged. https://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/434027/599268/599276/20-0236-response?view=Standard Data from England is not easily identified but the Children’s Rights Alliance for England estimated that tasers were fired on children around 25 times in 2013 alone: http://www.crae.org.uk/news/increase-in-use-of-tasers-on-children/ Continue reading Police Scotland have never tasered a child