(20 Jan 2014)
A year-long academic study carried out by researchers at a Scottish university has revealed that both the BBC and STV have been favouring the No campaign in their TV news coverage of the independence referendum.The study, carried out by researchers at the University of the West of Scotland, found that an overwhelming number of news items were styled in a manner the research team concluded was favourable to the anti-independence campaign.
The research, which covered the period from September 2012 to September 2013, took in 730 hours of early evening TV news coverage broadcast by the BBC and STV. The results revealed the No campaign benefited by a ratio of 3:2.
According to a report written by Dr John Robertson who headed the team, the simple numerical preponderance of anti-independence statements over pro-independence statements on Reporting Scotland and STV News, was clear.
The study revealed:
Read full article HERE
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An academic study into TV news reporting of the Scottish Independence Referendum
(9 Jan 2014)
Fairness in the First Year? BBC and ITV Coverage of the Scottish Referendum Campaign from September 2012 to September 2013
(John Robertson, University of the West of Scotland)
The Scottish electorate will vote in an independence referendum on Thursday 18th September 2014. They will be asked ‘Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes or No.’ The Referendum Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 21st March 2013.
The ‘Phase 1’ survey of TV coverage of the referendum campaigns reported here covers the period from 17th September 2012 to 18th September 2013 including every evening (6-7pm) broadcast by BBC 1, Reporting Scotland, ITV and STV, in that period. A total, therefore, of approximately 730 hours, minus advertising breaks in ITV and STV broadcasts, was watched, transcribed and coded.
The evening TV broadcasts were chosen as the news media communications with the largest audiences in Scotland and in the UK. The distribution and quantity of messages of different types is presented in a tabular format with selected text examples to illustrate types of message.
The researchers, at the University of the West of Scotland, sought to disengage themselves as much as possible from the surrounding debate, in extended newspaper articles or TV debates, with a view to as objective an assessment as is possible given the inevitably ideological, contested and subjective nature of the topic. Consequently, we do not indulge, here, in an extended discussion of the history and politics of Scottish independence, the early analysis by journalists, nor do we debate the advantages or disadvantages proposed by the Yes and No campaigns.
Our purpose, rather, is to answer these questions which emerged as prevalent issues from first and second readings of the transcripts:
Read this article HERE
Read Report itself HERE
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Failure at the BBC
by Derek Bateman (19 Jan 2014)
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| Derek Bateman |
The work by the University of West of Scotland is exactly what BBC Scotland should have been doing itself as part of its duty to the Scots to provide balanced and fair coverage. If even a token accounting had been started a year ago, they would have realised quickly there was a problem that needed to be addressed.
The BBC is quick to claim people are forming perceptions not based on evidence when they complain about output. But that is disproved in this case and it is revealed as a hard reality that the national broadcaster is favouring one side in the national debate, a breach of its duty under the Royal Charter and a direct contradiction of the BBC’s own producer guidelines.
As a recent and long-term employee, I feel ashamed to learn that a fundamental tenet of BBC journalism lies in ruins while the country seeks the news and help needed to negotiate our biggest national debate.
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UPDATE -
Breaking News…
BBC threatens academic
By Derek Bateman (Wed 22 Jan 2014, 22:36)
Fascinating to see the BBC's priorities revealed so nakedly tonight when Pacific Quay management contacted the University of the West of Scotland to object to the UWS Bias in Broadcasting report which, as far as I can see, they didn't have the courage to broadcast.
Instead of doing what any self-confident public service broadcaster should do and produce a news item out of a critical report from one of our own universities, they seem to have hidden it from the licence-fee paying public who bankroll them and then mounted a sabotage operation against the author.
Read full article HERE
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