Balance is not in SNP’s favour

Sir, – In his Monday Matters column, (“Is the SNP getting bad press? An easy answer to a difficult question”, The Courier, March 26) Stefan Morkis opines that the SNP are paranoid about news coverage, and unhappy at anything less than fawning media coverage of their achievements.

I note that no SNP representatives are actually quoted in this opinion piece, leaving the suspicion that both the narrative and language are his alone.

Mr Morkis harks back to the 2014 referendum, claiming that scrutiny of the YES group was a legitimate response by newspapers and opposition parties to their campaign.

There’s the rub, however, as there was no such forensic scrutiny of Better Together claims.

The Courier’s sister publication, the Sunday Post, serialised referendum specials at this time, with the title, “Independence On Trial”, which included a cartoon portraying a courtroom, with Alex Salmond in the dock and Alistair Darling as prosecuting counsel.

In case anyone missed the point, a jury was present, suspiciously eyeing up the former First Minister.

There was not, as far as I’m aware, a balancing “Union On Trial” series, with roles reversed.

Television too was culpable of such behaviour, with the former BBC reporter, Paul Mason, stating, “Not since Iraq have I seen BBC News working at propaganda strength like this .”

During the final weeks, as the polls tightened, the BBC allowed Gordon Brown copious air time to make promises he couldn’t deliver. Derek Bateman, another former BBC employee, has addressed the origins of the SNP/BAD stories in his blog, Manipulating The Media. I suggest Mr Morkis reads it.

Even in a civil service all Scots pay for, the attitude of then head Sir Nicholas McPherson was that in the matter of the Scottish referendum, “...the normal rules of civil service impartiality simply do not apply”.

Perhaps, in addressing this unrepresentative imbalance, The Courier chief reporter will prove me wrong and give us a critique of the Tories, Labour and LibDems in future Monday Matters columns. Ken Clark. 15 Thorter Way, Dundee.