Highland protest planned over BBC 'bias' on independence referendum
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POLICE in Inverness will facilitate a peaceful protest against the BBC’s coverage of the Scottish referendum.
Chief Inspector Mark Mackay, the Area Commander for Inverness, said a police presence would ensure the safety of protesters and members of the public.
The event is being organised by SNP councillor Liz MacDonald, who claims a bias exists in favour of the pro-Union Better Together campaign.
She said: "This is about the London control of programming and does not reflect on the excellent local services which have suffered many cuts over the last few years."
Councillor MacDonald’s protest is being held at 2pm outside the BBC newsroom at Culduthel Road in Inverness on Sunday 27th July.
it comes weeks after hundreds of people gathered at BBC Scotland’s headquarters in Glasgow to protest over the corporation’s coverage of the referendum.
A spokeswoman for BBC Scotland said: "Our coverage of the referendum story is fair and impartial in line with the editorial guidelines."
The councillor, who previously served as Nairn provost, said the Scottish Government cabinet’s tactic of carrying around its own film crew to produce its own online news reports as partly to do with the BBC not willing to provide coverage.
She said: "The BBC gives them no credit for touring Scotland to listen to the people."
The government’s in-house film crew accompanied cabinet ministers on a recent two-day visit to Wick.
A two-hour question and answer debate at Wick Assembly Rooms was recorded and posted on YouTube along with ministers visiting delivering pieces to camera at the harbour and other sites.
Campbell Gunn, the First Minister’s senior special advisor, said the filming was standard practice.
"That’s all done for our website," he said. "We’re putting the government’s public discussions on the government website. They are all filmed. That’s nothing new. I think that even predates the SNP Government. Right from the start even the Labour Liberal Democrat coalition did this. There has always been this unit in our communications team."
What do you think? Is the BBC being unfairly targeted or is it showing political bias against the SNP?
Catch up on local debate and discussion on the independence referendum issue on a special section of website. Go to www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk and click on the 'Referendum' tab.
