Newspapers and the SNP
16/04/2007
business.
Let me tell you what it is like for readers such as me. Ahead of the elections to the Scottish Parliament next month, polls which show an SNP lead are accompanied by copy which suggests this is a bad thing.
When The Times ran a survey putting the main nationalist party ahead of Labour, the editorial fretted about the “far-left policies” of the SNP, while Tony Blair was ‘blamed’ for bringing this about. Any copy on what an opportunity this might be for Scotland? None - which is kind of odd, as that implied there was nothing positive to report about the policy which was winning the most popular support.
Or, other polls will suggest the SNP are not quite so far ahead of Labour, which The Scotsman will report as a “blow” to the nationalists. Anything on why voters might be making a positive decision to get greater powers for Edinburgh? No.
Yet another poll will show an SNP lead, but Scotland on Sunday can only serve up doom-laden copy, wondering where it all went wrong. Maybe a smidgen of text for that 35 per cent of the population who might think things are going right? Not a peep. They do, however, offer the opinion that Labour and the SNP policies are near identical - does that make them ‘far left’
then, or not?
Come the day after the elections, when Scotland will have changed irreversibly, it looks like not a single paper will chime with majority opinion. Isn’t that odd.
The SNP may well not form the next government. Labour might scrape a victory. However, the irreversible change will occur, nonetheless. With proportional representation voting for the local elections, the old Labour establishment will evaporate. The effect this will have on the relationship between the Scottish Executive and councils could be profound, removing the cosy relationship between tiers of government that sustains the inefficient and corrupt.
Perhaps this is why First Minister, Jack McConnell, felt able to say he’ll take money from
other budgets to boost education.
Add in the woeful, and declining, ratings for Chancellor, Gordon Brown, as future PM, plus the support down south for the Tories, and you have the real prospect of high-spending Labour administration in Edinburgh and a tax-cutting David Cameron down south. Whichever way you play this, the old Union is about to be tested as never before.
Yet I struggle to find the reports or analysis which reflect this bigger picture. Our journalists seem fixated on the B-movie story line about the SNP bringing chaos and terror to our quiet streets, and that supporters of nationalism are zombies in the spell of leader, Alex Salmond. When did our fascinating and complex politics, demonstrating the potency of democracy and the vote, get reduced to this pulp fiction?
Were I ever polled, I would say I’m voting SNP. I would like to make it clear what this means. I want Scotland to have more powers. I want us to undergo what amounts to a change in our taxation system because I think it would be good for us to take responsibility for our failings and
successes.
I will not, as newspapers imply, be voting SNP because I think Alex Salmond is a fantastic man. He’s OK, but, having worked together, I think we’re both happy not exchanging Christmas cards. I won’t be voting SNP because of their range of policies. Political analysts might like to remind themselves: very few voters do scrutinise manifestos. Most of us go on a broad sense of whether we’d like change or more of the same; I’m for the former.
Nor am I voting for an ‘SNP Scotland’ as some writers have taken to phrasing it. I’m not sure what this is in the first place, but, anyway, in a PR-elected chamber, there’s no such thing as a single party stamp on the broad policy agenda. I suspect the Nats will have the same limited success with its policies as most other governments.
I’d be hugely surprised if there is an independence referendum. The SNP seem perfectly positioned to go into coalition talks with the Lib Dems and concede the referendum policy in return for the top ministerial posts in government. The Lib Dems could be blamed for scuppering the big plan, while the SNP get four stable years of spending the UK’s financial largesse. Seems like a win-win to me.
So what paper is for me? The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and The Times are out. The Daily Record remains loyal to Labour. The Herald, wilting under budget cuts and a dying readership, have given up the fight for intellectual rigour and plumped for the easy option of following the rest of the pack.
I puzzle why not a single paper seems interested in discussing how we, the people of Scotland, might rethink key social policies. Why does no journalist want to discuss what happened to our UK financial dividend, so often trumpeted by the Tories and Labour as the benefit of the Union? Does no-one in papers share the hope that we could do something, not even great, but pretty good, as a small European nation?
What bothers me about this is the commercial proposition. Newspapers are a dying trade - readership is declining across the board. Yet our papers have set themselves against a large chunk of the public, and refuse to engage positively in the biggest intellectual issue facing Scotland. Is it really the case that the hatred of Scots governing themselves is so strong no proprietor is prepared to cater to this market? Is the media really going to tell all those people who voted SNP, with the aim of gaining greater powers for Edinburgh, that they were stupid?
Alex Bell
comments
- "A point proven by todays, election day papers. Every tabloid has a full page scare story talking about divorce, bankruptcy and breaking the union! As for the broadsheets? Well the Herald is conveniently sitting on the fence stating a policy of not telling its readers how to vote. Somehow i'm guessing the Scotsman is slightly more forceful in it's editorial!!"
faz 03/05/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Alex Bell is absolutely right... really good article pal."
alanski 01/05/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Sorry, ms, to have to state the bleedin' obvious: The piece you refer to is an opinion, which is, pretty much by definition, always going to be partial. And just in case you haven't noticed, you have been able to comment against the SNP and this article just as easily as supporters have done. It's just that more of them have come forward than you. So long as the usual avoidances - such as defamation - are observed, any comment, by anyone, of whatever political persuasion, is welcome. As is a stand-alone opinion piece praising the press's support of the Union, Labour, etc. If only someone was willing to write it..........."
SilverLining 25/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Your havin a laff Malky! The Herald anti Exec? Aye right. You could have fooled me. The press are ganging up in support of the Union, and its definately get the SNP time. They will do anything to dig up the dirt on anybody connected with the Nats. Witness the Angus Brendan McNeill 2 year old non story. I wonder what they will do when the SNP take control on May 4th?"
daiseonag1 25/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "What a load of total cock.
If Nats wanted a 'pro-independence' newspaper maybe they should have bought the Standard when it was around.
The Herald has become more anti-Exec in recent years and is certainly more antagonistic to Labour than when crytpo-Nat Murray Ritchie was making a few bob as political editor."
Malky 23/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "The heartening thing is It's quite obvious there is a massive backlash by the people which you can see on any of these biased newspapers blogs. SNP support appears to be very strong and I believe the polls are being quite conservative as to the level of support."
steevo 22/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "If only we'd all supported the Scottish Standard....."
sverdlov 19/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "It's been suggested that I read the Press & Journal because they haven't yet been "got at" by labour and its spiders (they spin, you know)to get unbiased news - or is that pro-SNP news. Mind you, didn't the P&J have as its main story at the outbreak of WWII the digging up of a giant potato in Huntly?"
alastair 19/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "I have not bought a Scottish newspaper for 8 years - not since pre 1999 elections to Holyrood!
I buy only the FT - as I have an economic interest in buying it!
The Scottish so called press does not inform me accurately about anything!"
Iain More 19/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Rare to agree with anyone but I agree with you 100%"
Iain More 19/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Interesting article Alex. I don't agree about the papers (although there are certainly instances that fit your description). But I do agree that we're poorer for not having the depth of analysis that you seek. For me as a confirmed unionist, a key problem often appears to be that the constitutional debate (with its seemingly inevitable recrimination and counter-recrimination) interferes - but of course many might see that perspective as suiting my agenda!"
AM, Glasgow 18/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Excellent article Alex - encapsulates precisely what I've been frustrated with, and a good many others I'd wager.
The gap between positive debate and public behaviour and what we're *actually* presented with via the press and broadcasting is really, really alarming.
An exciting time dominated by gutless, cowardly journalism and so many prophets of doom."
Cam 18/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "At least The Herald has a level of balance. The Scotsman is on a level with the Daily Record in terms of the rubbish it prints."
milton 18/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "The Daily Record is a disgrace. It constantly hits us with patronising 'real Scots read the Record' etc etc then in teh next breath tells us we'd transform into some isolated, banana Republic. Not surprising that it donates a few grand to the Labour Party in return for £1 million in advertising.
Considering how rabidly unionist and anto SNP the media and establishment is, I think the popularity of the SNP is remarkable.
Nae union."
Saor Alba 17/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Good article Alex Bell. You should post it to Rupert Murdoch, the independent Aussie owner of The Sun with the Scottish name. Maybe he'll see the market opportunity."
Jimbo 17/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Great article, I feel the same way about the press these days. There's nothing there for me, I just get wound up reading the crap people fling at the SNP! In the Herald, there are barely even photos of SNP people. What will happen should the SNP win in May?!"
bellgrovebelle 17/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Good article, well said. You wonder what the polls would be if we had a more balanced media coverage. But doesnt new media operate at a different level now anyway? Why hate the media when you can be the media?
Gus @ http://1820.org.uk/"
Gus 17/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Excellent article.. certainly explains what may be behind the 'secret' opinion poll which The Herald is apparently suppressing... check out httP://tartanhero.blogspot.com"
Tartan Hero 17/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Where exactly is Alex living and buying his papers? I quite fancy the idea of living somewhere like that.
The place I live has newspapers which everyday predict an SNP victory, seize on any small Labour problem i.e. today's Herald (17-4) about Jack McConnell being late for a meeting, as a reason to kick Labour. However the same 'papers ignore cynical SNP actions such as launching their local income tax plans on the same day as the Trident vote, so that the drawbacks of their tax plans might not be exposed.
Otherwise we have other newspapers i.e. the Sunday Herald which give us 'exclusives' such as Irvine Welsh supporting the SNP? I'm thinking of applying for a job there because this came as no surprise to me, yet it attracted a full page article. I expect the 'Pope is Catholic' headlines to follow.
The SNP have to realise that as they get into a stronger position and one which potentially takes them into government, scrutiny increases. It's why Labour once did well in the media (in opposition) but no longer. The SNP have had four easy years whilst they have attacked the government - the show is on the other foot now.
If the SNP (or anyone else) doesn't like these rules, they shouldn't play the game."
Jennie1 17/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "I couldn't agree more about the papers - seems to me that someone's missing a commercial trick. There's loads of political blogs. A good place to start is http://scottishroundup.co.uk/ or you could try http://www.mcgellie.wordpress.com"
Richard Saville-Smith 16/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "er ... not so sure Tom Brown. A YouGov survey shows that the SNP is clearly the most popular party among readers of Scotland’s indigenous daily newspapers – the Herald, Scotsman, Press and Journal, Courier, and even the Daily Record.
Check out the full figures at Murray Ritchie's blog at www.scottishindependenceconvention"
daiseonag1 16/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "The commercial aspect is interesting. There is a huge gap in the market. I remember the Sun got a huge boost during its start-up nationalist phase, with many buying it purely for support and not even reading it."
Dave B 16/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "My message ws signed with a login. Lest there be any doubt, the 'fifer123' comment is by me - Tom Brown"
fifer123 16/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "1. "Any copy on what an opportunity this might be for Scotland? None - which is kind of odd, as that implied there was nothing positive to report about the policy which was winning the most popular support."
Popular support? Er ... support for independence always has, and still is, below 30 per cent.
"Is the media really going to tell all those people who voted SNP, with the aim of gaining greater powers for Edinburgh, that they were stupid?"
Never stupid. But certainly misled and misguided, since the 'greater power' sought by the SNP is not super-devo but full independence. Or is Alex saying the Nats' reason for existence has changed?"
fifer123 16/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Spot on Alex."
Jim Lynch 16/04/2007
report content as inappropriate - "Well said Alex, couldn't agree more with what you said."
matt 16/04/2007
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