I see some problems with this...despite its modest ambition. Come on, let's be brave. Will one political party in Scotland have the courage to include the transfer of media control and the BBC to the Scottish Parliament. Everything else will flow from that. An end to fake Scottish accents and other forms of tartan washing with our own funding channels comissioning authentic Scottish programmes would be a good start.
I'm 21, in a group of around the same age, so thought i'd share my experience. Speaking about the lack of reading the news gets different results, my slightly younger sister didn't know what a first minister was when I mentioned John Swinney, said the news depressed her so she just avoided it, and only ever really brings up current political events if its something she's found from TikTok (it normally also isnt particularly current). And I don't think that's uncommon at all. It's upsetting more than anything else.
Your mention of the BBC anti-scotland slant; it is definitely felt in younger circles, I know a lot of people who felt so disenfranchised by BBC reporting that they just got turned off of the whole prospect of *reading the news*. The BBC is sort of seen as the "default" news source when you're a teenager in my experience, so when the bias there is so aggravating to read, there is that sort of generalisation. There is a hunger to be informed still, at least in some people, but an active aversion to news sources, kind of a fear of reading something heavily biased and then being radicalised in some way.
I think it's also felt a bit, just again in my experience because of how *aware* people my age are about the alt-right pipeline. There is a worry I think for a lot people my age about "falling down the pipeline" without even realising it.
I don't know if this is something other people are doing, but the way me and my pals have got around that is by setting up a chat that's exclusively for posting news stories we've came across and fact-checked or resources about one of our areas of study that is coming up in the news, as most of us end up hearing about that stuff more. Aside from that I also follow a bunch of UK Constitutional Law blogs (as well as some here that I liked the look of, most I've found through them being cited in essays from said law blogs). The newspapers I consistently look at are 404 Media and the Independent, but those are more sporadic, and with 404 media, very america and tech centric, not really politics based.
Great to learn about your generation and how you are dealing with the media. When I was your age there was no digital media, but we did discuss news doon the pub. Discussion and chat amongst peers is the best way to deal with and get to the bottom of news narratives I think.
Thank you. That’s so interesting. I understand that fear of reading stuff that’s biased one way or the other. I try to read quite widely. There’s an app called Press Reader you can download in the library and that gives you free online access to lots of newspapers and magazines - wherever you are, I think you just have to have a library card to download it
It is a interesting question that leads to other questions. How do you convince younger people to consume journalism from Scotland in numbers they are not doing now compared to other countries of similar size. I dont know
But I do know my kids have no interest or attachment in Scottish journalism in a way my generation do. They just want to read journalism about the world and don't care where it originates from.
I totally agree. No getting away from aot of Scottish journalism being seen as boring by younger generation in a way its not in Ireland. Our media ecosystem is totally different and not in a good way. Scottish cringe more of a factor than ever and a lot seems very parochial.
Well the Welsh guys are still getting funded despite breaking the Gethins story - the post is managed through a newspaper. In Scotland they are asking for a separate institute with senior journalists like Joyce Macmillan involved. Under the current system the newspapers are hardly objective - they have been pushing their proprietors' agendas for years - look at the I Sky column in Private Eye. Many European countries do support public interest journalism. I think it could affect the way the agenda is set - the BBC is far too prone to following the right-wing UK press and I guess SPIJ Iwould just be another voice
The BBC is funded by the state. In a Scottish context it’s a bit different perhaps. The BBC takes its agenda from the press which is strongly Unionist. As Scotland diverges from the UK it might want to a different course. At the moment broadcasting is in Westminster’s control - it’s not devolved. It’s interesting to look at what other European countries do.
I see some problems with this...despite its modest ambition. Come on, let's be brave. Will one political party in Scotland have the courage to include the transfer of media control and the BBC to the Scottish Parliament. Everything else will flow from that. An end to fake Scottish accents and other forms of tartan washing with our own funding channels comissioning authentic Scottish programmes would be a good start.
I'm 21, in a group of around the same age, so thought i'd share my experience. Speaking about the lack of reading the news gets different results, my slightly younger sister didn't know what a first minister was when I mentioned John Swinney, said the news depressed her so she just avoided it, and only ever really brings up current political events if its something she's found from TikTok (it normally also isnt particularly current). And I don't think that's uncommon at all. It's upsetting more than anything else.
Your mention of the BBC anti-scotland slant; it is definitely felt in younger circles, I know a lot of people who felt so disenfranchised by BBC reporting that they just got turned off of the whole prospect of *reading the news*. The BBC is sort of seen as the "default" news source when you're a teenager in my experience, so when the bias there is so aggravating to read, there is that sort of generalisation. There is a hunger to be informed still, at least in some people, but an active aversion to news sources, kind of a fear of reading something heavily biased and then being radicalised in some way.
I think it's also felt a bit, just again in my experience because of how *aware* people my age are about the alt-right pipeline. There is a worry I think for a lot people my age about "falling down the pipeline" without even realising it.
I don't know if this is something other people are doing, but the way me and my pals have got around that is by setting up a chat that's exclusively for posting news stories we've came across and fact-checked or resources about one of our areas of study that is coming up in the news, as most of us end up hearing about that stuff more. Aside from that I also follow a bunch of UK Constitutional Law blogs (as well as some here that I liked the look of, most I've found through them being cited in essays from said law blogs). The newspapers I consistently look at are 404 Media and the Independent, but those are more sporadic, and with 404 media, very america and tech centric, not really politics based.
Great to learn about your generation and how you are dealing with the media. When I was your age there was no digital media, but we did discuss news doon the pub. Discussion and chat amongst peers is the best way to deal with and get to the bottom of news narratives I think.
Thank you. That’s so interesting. I understand that fear of reading stuff that’s biased one way or the other. I try to read quite widely. There’s an app called Press Reader you can download in the library and that gives you free online access to lots of newspapers and magazines - wherever you are, I think you just have to have a library card to download it
Why is Ireland journalism so much more vibrant than Scottish that is far more interesting question.
It is a interesting question that leads to other questions. How do you convince younger people to consume journalism from Scotland in numbers they are not doing now compared to other countries of similar size. I dont know
But I do know my kids have no interest or attachment in Scottish journalism in a way my generation do. They just want to read journalism about the world and don't care where it originates from.
It’s great that your kids are interested in the world. But a functioning democracy requires more local engagement don’t you think?
I totally agree. No getting away from aot of Scottish journalism being seen as boring by younger generation in a way its not in Ireland. Our media ecosystem is totally different and not in a good way. Scottish cringe more of a factor than ever and a lot seems very parochial.
My worry is poor journalism funded.
My worry is terrible grammar
How would this work though? Who decides what gets published and by who? If I don't toe the governing party's line then do I still get funded?
Well the Welsh guys are still getting funded despite breaking the Gethins story - the post is managed through a newspaper. In Scotland they are asking for a separate institute with senior journalists like Joyce Macmillan involved. Under the current system the newspapers are hardly objective - they have been pushing their proprietors' agendas for years - look at the I Sky column in Private Eye. Many European countries do support public interest journalism. I think it could affect the way the agenda is set - the BBC is far too prone to following the right-wing UK press and I guess SPIJ Iwould just be another voice
I think it would be imppossible for the Welsh Labour Parrty to sack this jrounalsit for breaking a story that harmed their party's chances
I'd feel uneasy about the state, a political party in effect, deciding who receives funding. Cui bono?
The BBC is funded by the state. In a Scottish context it’s a bit different perhaps. The BBC takes its agenda from the press which is strongly Unionist. As Scotland diverges from the UK it might want to a different course. At the moment broadcasting is in Westminster’s control - it’s not devolved. It’s interesting to look at what other European countries do.
as for the BBC, the left claim it is too right-wing, the right claim the opposite, it's always been that way.