Undisclosed interests
Newsnet Scotland this morning attacks some comments by BBC presenter James Naughtie in which he remarks disapprovingly on the aesthetic state of Princes Street in Edinburgh. To be honest, we’re with the Beeb’s man on this one – as documented by the splendid Facebook page Lost Edinburgh, the capital’s main thoroughfare is a living catalogue of grotesque crimes against architecture, and the additional havoc wreaked on it by years of needless tram works doesn’t need any detailing here.
The piece does reveal something much more interesting, though.
Our ever-alert readers will already know that the UK state broadcaster has selected Mr Naughtie to beef up its coverage of the independence referendum in the year leading up to the vote. The veteran will, of course, be an impeccably neutral and impartial journalistic voice representing both sides of the debate fairly. Won’t he?
These lines come from an Observer article of almost exactly a year ago:
“Some Scottish heavyweights will bring their formidable intellectual cannon to bear on the SNP’s arguments… [Gordon] Brown will certainly be joined by politicians Malcolm Rifkind, Charles Kennedy and Alistair Darling, writer Allan Massie and broadcaster James Naughtie, together with many other freethinking Scots intellectuals, sportsmen and entrepreneurs who prefer the muddle of the union to the clinical solitude of independence.”
(Our emphasis.)
Now let’s be clear. Mr Naughtie is perfectly entitled to “prefer the muddle of the union to the clinical solitude of independence” if he wants. (Assuming that Mr McCrum is representing his position accurately in the Observer piece, and we have no reason to believe he isn’t – he’s certainly right about the other five people in his list.) It’s long been this site’s position that journalists are human beings too, and that it’s not sensible or realistic to expect them to act against their own beliefs.
What concerns us is when people present themselves, or are presented by their employers, as being unbiased when they’re not. We can’t find a single word in any reporting of James Naughtie’s appointment which notes that he’s a Unionist aiming to shoot down “the SNP’s” arguments with his “formidable intellectual cannon”.
We don’t think it’s paranoid or unreasonable to feel that there should be.
I hope…
Again brilliant detective work sure this will feature on Newsnight Scotland Tonight
Naughtie ???? Seriously ??? Unbiassed ???
I think that we will be hearing a lot more about Mr Naughtie in the near future. We should shine a spotlight on the colours that he seems to have already nailed to his mast. Lets have him rumbled before he takes up his appointment.
And yet LFI members who openly state who they are, work alongside the SNP and state who those SNP members are, publish full and inclusive pictures of themselves ezplaining all of that only to see them cropped and used to vilify them.
Maybe, James Naughtie is just an SNP mole in deep deep cover….
I wouldn’t mind him being biassed, if there was someone equally convinced of the independence argument to balance his views. But there isn’t. The BBC is utterly dominated by people who see independence either as a silly childish notion to be ridiculed, or a serious threat to the natural order of things.
They’re so sure of themselve, so cocooned in their little bubble of groupthink, that I swear they don’t even realise what they’re doing. All these bland brush-offs to repeated, reasonable complaints, seen as justified because they know independence supporters are the same sort of people as write impassioned letters in green ink about the need for tinfoil hats to counter the mind control rays.
The changes of them taking a long hard look at themselves and seeing what they really are, are somewhere south of absolute zero. Human beings almost never do this.
I love the implication in the article that ‘Scots intellectuals’ who might support independence are not ‘free-thinking’.
As for Naughtie, his enhanced presence in the independence debate is to serve only one purpose for the BBC.
“themselves”, “chances”. No time to edit.
““themselves”, “chances”. No time to edit.”
“biased”, too
Spot on Raining days
Unionist indoctrination through the BBC.
It’s well past time that some-one honest among them broke ranks and named names.
The MSM continue to demonstrate almost superhuman faith and support in the Union. Why is this? Is it to do solely with protection of their own and Unionist politicians’ interests? Do they really think so little of Scotland? Are they against change?
Now that would require a backbone and I dont see it happening soon; staff are way to scared for their jobs from what I’ve heard (only 2nd hand hearsay)
It does seeem strange that there are ‘none of indepndent mind in thier midst’ since we are told 36% in the polls of all Scotland will vote yes at this stage – just not in BBC or STV for that matter.
Are they all now at the courier ???
Ironically, an independent Scotland would undoubtely see the creation of many new jobs, and the broadcasting sector is one area that would certainly see growth. I mean, a newly independent country needs its own broadcaster, and will want to repatriate a lot of things that have previously been done elsewhere. If I was in broadcasting, independence wouldn’t be able to come fast enough for me.
BBC Annual Report – Just 48 per cent of people north of the border believe the corporation does well at this – the lowest proportion of any of the countries in the UK.
Mr Naughtie’s neutral performance in the critical issue of the 2014 referendum vote will surely be an important factor in whether this figure goes up or crashes even further.
I hope as we get closer to the referendum, we have more interviewees challenging interviewers as to whether they have an opinion on independence. Getting the likes of Naughtie to admit they have a view (of course you’d need sodium pentothal to get him to say what it was) would be a huge admission in itself.
@Morag
at 11;39am
Yes with Rev. Stu as head of news and current affairs.
BBC Annual Report – Just 48 per cent of people north of the border believe the corporation does well at this – the lowest proportion of any of the countries in the UK.
“This” being good at representing their life in its coverage of news and current affairs.
I have to confess that I didn’t think for one moment he wasn’t anything other than the BBC’s “Our man in Havana”. I got the impression that they simply thought the journalists in Scotland were already either tarred with bias or just not up to the job (mostly the latter as I don’t think they give a toss about bias).
I will be viewing everything he writes or says with a very big pinch of salt.
The Unionist Lexicon: sunk, sucked the air out of, on the ropes, knock out blow, disarray, warning, already won( from Cameron, Blair MacDougall, etc), shambles, chaos, disintegration, cybernat, 25%, 20%, nobody wants, disputed.
I laugh at their heavyweight cannon and great clunking fists. Scotland is changing without these dinosaurs. Look at another Scot who went native in the UK media, Rory Bremner – his recent show on the referendum revealed his ignorance (which to his credit he admitted up front) on the subject. I don’t see how James Naughtie is going to be any better informed, and there will be very little time for him to get up to speed with reality.
Brian
You forgot the most important
ACCUSED
James Naughtie in decent comic timing shocker.
“Linlithgow? Why do you say Linlithgow? I know Alex Salmond is a black bitch but, well, I mean… [audience laughter] I hope you get the detailed reference there. It’s a very polite reference to somebody born in the boundaries of Linlithgow, as Tam Dalyell and Alex Salmond both were. What a pair.”
link to youtube.com
Could have done with a few titter ye nots but otherwise fine.
Like everyone else I took Mr Naughtie’s “appointment” as BBC “man on the spot” for the referendum with a rather over sized pinch, or should that be truck load, of salt.
I have not been to Edinburgh for years but I agree with Stu on his view about Princes Street, I do not think that all the unnecessary waste of public money on Edinburgh’s own little private train (tram) set has done Princess Street any favours either. I hope the Labour,LibDem and Tory MSP’s are all proud of the mess that their jealousy and/or of the SNP in 2007 has created.
Not only will we be getting many more “Great British” programmes over the next 12 months but also the BBC is setting the trend with a new quiz show called Six Degrees of Separation
BBC impartial? Pull the other one.
There is a European group that can investigate and report on all this kind of anti democracy stuff. The SNP apparently refuse to call them in, why the hell not!
Naughtie is a wrong ‘un. Excerpt from Lobster Magazine here at PowerBase. His paymasters aren’t even in the UK.
G. Campbell says:
Just seen the cilp – Naughtie what a wit !
I Frankie Howard comes to mind
Surprisingly balanced panel on Brian Taylor’s Big Debate this week.
Indy
Gordon MacDonald
Alison Johnstone
Union FTW!
Sarah Boyack
Peter Hootsmon MacMahon
There is a corrollary in all this for Naughtie career-wise, though. If his lack of knowledge around the independence issue is exposed (as it will be) and, more significantly, that lack of knowledge is highlighted in an interview situation with Alex Salmond and Naughtie is made to look foolish, then it could have a big impact on perceptions of his gravitas and capabilities at Broadcasting House.
Think on that one, Jamie.
Just had a wee read of the Observer article. Full of gushing about great the Olympics were. They were fun though. Just as well really, since I and a few others paid £9bn to stage them. But I took a look at their Olympics poll results (linked from article). Buried deep within the second last paragraph:
Among Scots, opinion was divided about whether the Games would assist or hamper the independence cause. The most common view, held by 33%, was that it would lower support for separation, with 17% saying it would decrease support a lot. Around a half of Scots believed it would make no difference.
Hmmm. I thought that half was the same as 50%? So in fact the most common view was actually that the Olympics would make no difference to the support for ‘separation’.
It is obvious that Naughtie is being parachuted in to do a job of work for the unionist cause. The really worrying thing is that it all seems very much above board i.e. Naughtie is being brought in for his professionalism and no mention of his union bias. This subtle manoeuvre is undermining the democratic process in Scotland. Mr. Naughtie should be given a very warm welcome on his return to his native country.
If his lack of knowledge around the independence issue is exposed (as it will be)
He do we know he lacks knowledge if that lack of knowledge hasn’t already been exposed?
muttley at 11:34 am 16 Aug
The MSM continue to demonstrate almost superhuman faith and support in the Union. Why is this? Is it to do solely with protection of their own and Unionist politicians’ interests? Do they really think so little of Scotland? Are they against change
Basically they think they are fighting for their jobs and future careers. Many of them (rightly) think they will be sacked and have to look for jobs elsewhere. And people will go a long way in defence of that. Many also think Scotland will be a parochial little country with no vision. But it is they who lack vision. Look at Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, et al and even Catalonia. There is no lack of journalism opportunities in those countries. Each has many newspapers and many have more than one TV outlet. Anyway, the online media will be the way to go. They might even get a job with Wings.
I don’t see WoS on the list of groups attending this year’s march for independence on 21 September.
link to independencerally.com
Bella Caledonia & National Collective are listed along with others. Will WoS be in attendance with a banner to meet under?
“Bella Caledonia & National Collective are listed along with others. Will WoS be in attendance with a banner to meet under?”
Don’t have a banner, but I’m planning to be there.
I too would prefer the muddle of the union to the clinical solitude of independence but there’s an implication that we’re incapable of making a muddle of very own. I beg to suggest that there is good evidence to the contrary.
Personally, I’m attracted to the prospect of the muddle of independence and I don’t think we’re too wee, too stupid or too small to make at least as good a job of it as any other nation on earth.
Here’s a suggestion for a question for your next poll: “Do you believe that in the event of a Yes vote an independent Scotland would exist in a state of clinical solitude?”
..clinical solitude of independence.
Ha, ha, ha!
Oh. ma puir sides
WoS + We also need banners hammering the ‘press & BBC’ at the event.
Anybody want to bet which flagging Newspaper ‘comes out’ for YES at the eleventh hour when they realise their jobs will be on the line for sure!!
Whats the betting -How long will Gardham last after the event ?
Images of last flights out of Saigon come to mind
Banner? Stu I’d expect nothing less than a banner held high – I’m sure you can rope in a volunteer or two to help it round the route, a table full of car stickers and other freebies, a bucket for donations towards the next poll, and a visitors book.
Besides it was give us all the chance to say hello and make your trip north just a tad more memorable would it not?
And the media could point you out for they will be giving the event blanket coverage won’t they?
“Some Scottish heavyweights will bring their formidable intellectual cannon to bear on the SNP’s arguments… [Gordon] Brown will certainly be joined by politicians Malcolm Rifkind, Charles Kennedy and Alistair Darling, writer Allan Massie and broadcaster James Naughtie, together with many other freethinking Scots intellectuals, sportsmen and entrepreneurs who prefer the muddle of the union to the clinical solitude of independence.”
HandandShrimp says:
16 August, 2013 at 11:47 am
I will be viewing everything he writes or says with a very big pinch of salt.
More like a sack of Cerebos my friend!
“Don’t have a banner, but I’m planning to be there.”
Me (and wife) too, work commitments permitting.
Would it be possible to have WoS listed? They’ve included a link to all the Websites of those groups attending. It could send more readers this way. Surely the organisers will appreciate that publicising any and every pro Indy site has to be a good thing?
“Banner? Stu I’d expect nothing less than a banner held high – I’m sure you can rope in a volunteer or two to help it round the route…”
If I can make it I’d be happy to hoist a pole round the route.
Any banner makers out there?
I might go for something like this:
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
Don’t have a banner, but I’m planning to be there.
You’ll be there – good! But you’ll need to do better than that Rev – I want to shake your hand in person (so get building up your wrist muscles, I’ve a feeling your going to need strong ones – and – bring a big sign).
Les @ 12:08; if you are referring to the OECD lot we were informed months ago that they will only act in response to a request from the government of a member state. “The SNP” or even the Scottish government can do nothing in this particular case.
Well they certainly know who WoS is over on Yes and Free Scotland Facebook pages so it would be no surprise to see a listing.
i was wondering if after independence a scots gov could bring war crime charges against mr darling mr murphy my alexander and the rest of the scots war criminals still plying their trade ? and those not still plying their trade ?
Vronsky – thanks for the link to the Powerbase rundown on the British American Project. Enlightening.
“He do we know he lacks knowledge if that lack of knowledge hasn’t already been exposed?”
See sub-Shavian contrarianism? See you?
““themselves”, “chances”. No time to edit.”
“biased”, too
Not on my spell-checker. Srsly.
Don’t have a banner, but I’m planning to be there.
I thought you said you’d been invited to speak? Did I pick you up wrong?
“I thought you said you’d been invited to speak? Did I pick you up wrong?”
At something after the rally, not at the rally itself.
This guy Naughtie is an out of the closet unionist and has bnever denied it. I seem to remember he referred to Ed Milliband and the Labour party as the “Royal We”. As in :”When We win the election”. The BBC are an absolute disgrace and I just don’t trust any of them. This appointment was probably suggested by Milliband and Darling and I actually mean that. Gordon Brewer on Newsnight is a disgrace who just talks over Nicola Sturgeon whenever he can.
Although if anyone watched Scotland Tonight. The unionist ex director guy they had on made an absolute tit of himself. He was a mentally challenged Brit. Words like that’s mince and Aye Right! Hardly an intellectual debate countering the facts presented to him by the pro – indie representative. Anyone can come on and shout :”Mince” is this the best they can come up with…it’s embarassing.
i was wondering if after independence a scots gov could bring war crime charges against mr darling mr murphy my alexander and the rest of the scots war criminals still plying their trade ? and those not still plying their trade ?
Oh for goodness sake, that’s exactly the sort of comment we Do. Not. Need. Now come out and accuse me of censorship if you like, but I don’t want to be on the same web site as someone who thinks in these terms. Grow up.
I actually quite like Jim Naughtie, I’d say he’s one of the more adept presenters on the Today programme and he also does some interesting non-political/current affairs work on Radio 4 as well. Not to mention his infamous interview with Jeremy Hunt – hilarious.
Like the station as a whole though, you have to listen to him within the context of a foreign broadcaster. This is where the BBC’s choice falls down – ‘Our Man in Havana’ as HandandShrimp put it very well above. Though he may have the skills to pay the bills as a broadcaster, it is obvious where Mr Naughtie’s affiliations lie (“…if WE win the election…”).
At something after the rally, not at the rally itself.
What sort of something, and can plebs come?
Holebender says:
Les @ 12:08; if you are referring to the OECD lot we were informed months ago that they will only act in response to a request from the government of a member state. “The SNP” or even the Scottish government can do nothing in this particular case.
If that’s correct then the OHDIR rules of engagement are pointless.
It’s like the police refusing to attend a bank robbery until the robber’s given them permission!
Holy shit that’s pointless.
“What sort of something, and can plebs come?”
At this point I know next to nothing about it. But open to anyone as far as I know.
HandandShrimp says:
Brian
You forgot the most importantACCUSED
Scottish Panda Pregnancy Confirmed – Salmond accused
link to bbc.scotlandshire.co.uk
“Oh for goodness sake, that’s exactly the sort of comment we Do. Not. Need.”
I tend to agree. But in the interests of fairness, I think it was meant to mean “over the Iraq war, on behalf of the international community”, rather than “for crimes against Scotland” or anything like that.
Soon to be Sir James Naughtie or even Lord Naughtie of Pathetic Quay for services rendered the blessed union?Like Sir John Mills of EIF
Our car is covered in good old YES Scotland stickers but I think a Wings sticker would balance the view of the car.:lol:
Do you have anything like car stickers available Stu?
RevStu,
You can’t be there and be incognito, Good God man – you’re famous!
If you need a banner fund………………
I lost my Yes Scotland sticker is there anywhere you can pick them up for free?
My car has and SNP sticker – Euro/Ecosse reg plate with saltire and a large scotland badge on the right of the boot. I was so sick of seeing people displaying Union Jacks recently that I have decided to cover my car in the flag they hate.
Looking at the entire list, I was wondering where exactly is this “formidable intellectual cannon”. Did they leave someone out?
I tend to agree. But in the interests of fairness, I think it was meant to mean “over the Iraq war, on behalf of the international community”, rather than “for crimes against Scotland” or anything like that.
Mmmmm…K.
sorry to bring up a heavy subject at this time of day morag. i disagree with you , justice and all that
According to Craig Murray its not the member state who requests involvement of ohidr
the Scottish Government can. see following blog on Craig Murray’s site
As someone who was interviewed as head of the ohidr I reckon he knows its remit
link to craigmurray.org.uk
david,
I’m much more concerned about disengaging from the vehicle that took us into Iraq i.e Westminster and its inhabitants, at this moment in time.
I’d advise you against arguing with Morag about “justice”. She’s formidable.
“formidable intellectual cannon” – as in Unionist Attack Dog.
We all know what to expect from James Naughtie.
ok
David / Morag / Rev
Lest we forget the biggest culprit pro Nuke and very Briddish Warmonger
Captain NATO : Lord Georgie Robotson of Festerin Werries (More on him soon)
Jingly Jangly, it was that blog post which led someone (I don’t remember who or where but I’m pretty sure it was on this very site) to e-mail ODIHR about it. It was the reply from the organisation itself which stated they would only intervene if invited in by the government of a member state.
Remember the discussion on hijacking #FF to mean Flag Friday….why dont we have Wings Over Scotland Saltires made up with monies raised going towards further Polls, Site hosting costs etc while also getting the flags out and about for all to see?
Rev..any thoughts?
Holebender / Jingly Jangly
The following is the response I received requesting ODIHR intervention
“Dear Mr. Wilson,
Thank you for your message concerning media coverage ahead of the upcoming referendum in the United Kingdom, which was forwarded to me by my colleagues in the Elections Department.
Regarding your request, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is mandated to provide assistance to OSCE participating States in meeting their human dimension commitments, including in the area of elections. Upon request, ODIHR deploys election observation missions to assess electoral processes, including the media coverage and, more broadly, the media environment, for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards.
In accordance with ODIHR’s election observation methodology, the deployment of an election observation activity requires an invitation from the respective OSCE participating State. Existing OSCE commitments do not oblige participating States to invite ODIHR to observe at referendum, nor is ODIHR required to respond positively if such an invitation is received.
Some states have issued such invitations and the Office has observed a small number of referenda in the past. In the case of the upcoming referendum in Great Britain, ODIHR would consider undertaking an observation activity upon invitation by the Government of the United Kingdom. The media environment and the nature of the coverage of the referendum would be among the aspects of the campaign that such an election observation activity would assess.”
yours etc
Re: War crimes. Bush, Blair et al have already been found guilty in absentia, of committing “crimes against peace” – waging a war in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, by the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission.
link to globalresearch.ca
Seriously though – if someone was at the rally with a WoS banner you wouldn’t be able to get near it through the crush of us lot drawn to its magnetism.
I’m intending to be there on the 21st (I made a flagpole for my saltire last week), unless I’m in Uzbekistan (not a euphemism, by the way).
Desimond.
I’d buy that for a dollar.
I intend to wear my Scotland rugby shirt (basically blue with a big saltire front and back, bought for the occasion in a tourist trap shop on the Royal Mile some months ago), but I’ll be carrying a WoS tote bag, and if it’s warm the rugby shirt will come off to reveal a yellow WoS “a hundred of us – remain alive” t-shirt.
I’ll be there too, taking a day off work. I’ll have my lapel badge on, feel free to ask about it.
Just ordered a new Wings “My neighbours don’t make my decisions” sweatshirt. Had some problems getting it though. Using the chrome browser, the submit order button didn’t show up. I tried using opera but got nowhere. In the end I managed to get it using clunky old internet explorer.
@Big Jock
This guy Naughtie is an out of the closet unionist and has bnever denied it. I seem to remember he referred to Ed Milliband and the Labour party as the “Royal We”. As in :”When We win the election”. The BBC are an absolute disgrace and I just don’t trust any of them. This appointment was probably suggested by Milliband and Darling and I actually mean that. Gordon Brewer on Newsnight is a disgrace who just talks over Nicola Sturgeon whenever he can.
I think Naughtie said that about the Conservatives before the last general election, and not about the Labour Party.
dmw42, that’s as I remembered it.
The trouble with the Rev’s stuff fae the Mega Store is that it dis’ny identify the web site, ie, wingsoverscotland.com.
The trouble with the Rev’s stuff fae the Mega Store is that it dis’ny identify the web site, ie, wingsoverscotland.com.
No way – that’s a feature, not a bug.
The London establishment considers Naughtie to be a Labour man, citing some slip of the tongue that he made when interviewing a Labour politician on air. I remember he wrote an anti-Scottish rant in either the Scotsman or the Herald some years ago when it was apparent that we were moving away from London rule. Something about his children being turned into foreigners in Scotland because they spoke with English accents if I mind right.
We may as well have Cameron cover the whole campaign and referendum, why even bother with the pretence any more ?
naebed, your saying that because you know aboot the site! We need to get more people questioning what the MSM is saying, and here is where you find it!