Thursday, August 21, 2008

BBC Scottish News Are At It Again

BBC Scotland News continues to show some pretty shoddy journalistic standards. Yesterday in their story about the BAA they constantly referred to the BAA  being "ordered to sell off airports". It wasn't until the very end of the report where their own reporter, rather than the news reader, mentioned that this was still in the consultation phase. In all the coverage of the piece there was little mention of the fact that organizations in Edinburgh, for example, were opposed to the move; yet they had a Ryanair spokesperson on camera saying how good it was for passengers and competition. Of course the airlines say that because any lowering of landing fees goes straight to their bottom line; without necessarily giving the consummer any more routes or any lower fares.


Or another tack, but equally daft, is their continual adding of the word 'Scottish' in front of almost everything they say; it's got to the point where it's intrusive. This morning there was a piece about what school children in Scotland are eating for their lunch. The newsreader continually referred to Scottish schoolchildren. They are of course not necessarily Scottish; they might be English, Polish or a whole host of other nationalities that just live and go to school in Scotland. If BBC really want to be the national news they should conduct themselves with a bit more self confidence and accuracy.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's difficult to complain about shoddy journalism when you've spelt 'organisations' with a Z and used two different line spacings.

Richard Havers said...

Second point first. That's not of my choice it's a quirk of the blogger software. Journalism and spelling are separate issues and in any event organization with a z is perfectly correct. Check the Shorter Oxford English dictionary. It's in volume 2 N-Z and it's between organizable and organize.

It's also difficult to accept criticism from an anon.

Richard Havers said...

Ah Anon, I see that you are posting from Brisbane; well you might be. Nothing to do with your position in the Olympic medal table by any chance?

:)

Ken said...

I think it’s a case of dramatising the news, in some veign attempt to make it more excitting for us! Mr O’Leary is keen to see STN change hands, largely because the BAA won’t co-operate with his wish to have free parking and free landing fees for his aircraft, and of course don’t want to tailor development of their airports to his wishes.

I liken this reporting to that of the US missile defence shield going into Poland. Russia says that because of this Poland is now a “legitimate target for our nuclear weapons”. What the reports fail to state is that the UK is also a legitimate target for their nuclear weapons probably along with every other NATO member! Again its dramatizing to grab headlines.

We have the same local issue’s with the Welsh news…suddenly its Welsh schools, Welsh kids etc etc. Oh that the BBC can one day recognise what is local to the UK’s regions, and what is nationwide!

Ps…excuse my spelling...but even if I can't spell I'm allowed an opinion!