Madeleine Morris
So... someone asked me what news sources I use. This is a very good question, because I still feel that knowing nothing about what is going on in the world is unacceptable.
I'm going to preface this list by saying that there is no news organization without bias. The trick is knowing what their bias is. Also, I don't feel able to recommend news sources that are paywalled, because they limit access.
Mrs Cloudy
@Remittancegirl the Guardian has one really big blind spot in the shape of Scotland. It determinedly and consistently 'misunderstands' the nature of the Union, devolution, Scotland itself. It's too reliable in this for it to be by accident. They are every bit as Unionist as the Daily Mail. They just come from a different direction.
Madeleine Morris
3/ The Guardian
This is the only online newspaper I still actually give money to. It's not paywalled, but their demand for donations is pretty aggressive.
It has a centre-left bias, but it's hard reporting arm is pretty scrupulous and easily identified. You can quickly see whether the post is reportage, analysis or opinion. This is helpful.
They also have fairly good global coverage, but tend to be Westerncentric. It will also let you sort by region.
Madeleine Morris
2/ PBS is still one hell of a good news source in the US. While it may feel biased leftwards, a closer examination of its content proves it's actually traditionally centrist.
It doesn't cover the world much anymore and focuses on US due to a dramatic drop in funding.
Madeleine Morris
1/ The BBC World Service (available through the BBC Sounds app or online) is still excellent. It reports on global issues fairly evenhandedly. But there is a 'western bias' and their reporting from inside the UK is oriented via their general UK news departments and tends to be slightly right of centre.
Mrs Cloudy
@Remittancegirl great question. If anyone knows the answer, I'd be very interested to hear it. I've given up looking. Occasionally, you'll see a good piece on tv that is so rare that it only acts to demonstrate how poorly we are served. Scotland doesn't have our own media. I quite like the Talk Media weekly podcast and The Lesley Riddoch podcast is sometimes interesting if a bit rambling.
No decent print media to speak of.
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Madeleine Morris
@CloudyMrs who do you recommend for good, factual reporting for Scotland?
Mrs Cloudy
@Remittancegirl @Indyposterboy @adrinux you'd be hard pressed to find any actual 'news'. It's ALL analysis. The analysis is ALL negative against the very concept of independence. That piece you cite shows quite the contortion to reach the desired conclusion.
Madeleine Morris
@Indyposterboy @adrinux @CloudyMrs
Okay, but are you sure they were news articles and not 'analysis'? Because he does a lot of it.
Colin Dunn
@Remittancegirl @adrinux @CloudyMrs I saw *many* examples back in 2013/14. Many. I’m sure if you do a search on Google for practically any article he wrote on Scotland or independence at that time you will find ample evidence. Me? I’ve better uses of my time on a sunny afternoon.
Colin Dunn
@Remittancegirl @adrinux @CloudyMrs maybe for the rest of the world, but sadly I’ve found the Guardian’s Scottish correspondent Severin Carell’s reporting on Scotland very biased. Never uses a neutral expression when a negative one is available.
Madeleine Morris
@Indyposterboy @adrinux @CloudyMrs
Fair enough. Show me!
And write to the Guardian's editorial email and show them examples of this. They should get a better reporter!
Madeleine Morris
@adrinux @CloudyMrs @Indyposterboy
The one thing I really appreciate about the Guardian is that they very clearly distinguish between hard news and analysis or commentary. So while they do have biases and blind spots, their reportage is gratifyingly free of unnecessary adjectives. They also do a pretty good job covering the rest of the world.
Dr Adrian Simmons
@CloudyMrs
True, but I'd frame it slightly differently, the Guardian are very pro Labour. Their Unionism feels like a by product of that rather than a Union first thing.
End result is the same. So much eye rolling and cringe when they talk about Scotland on podcasts -- with the exception of John Harris, who seems to get it.
Mrs Cloudy
@Remittancegirl @Indyposterboy @adrinux it adds to the drip drip drip of "back in your box", that Scots have been fed since forever. It was never about informing anyone about anything. We are very poorly served.
Madeleine Morris
@CloudyMrs it certainly does. And what does it inform anyone of other than his personal glee? It’s just so much uninformative crap! @Indyposterboy @adrinux
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