13/09/2013 Newswatch

Coming up on the programme, it's a year to the referendum on Scottish

independence. Is the BBC giving independence. Is the BBC giving fair

access to both sides of access to both sides of the

argument? And if the Scots vote to leave the UK, what implications does

that have for the future of the BBC? We will hear the opinions of some

young voters and the BBC's responds. We have some questions that haven't

been answered, that's a massive point, people want to know what the

they are not being given. they are not being given.

On the 18th of September next year, everyone in Scotland aged 16 and

over will get the chance to vote on its future. They will be asked the

question, should Scotland be an independent country? A simple enough

question but one that has already aroused considerable argument

of the issue has come under of the issue has come under

particular scrutiny with most of the complaints received by Newswatch

according the —— accusing according the —— accusing the

corporation of an anti— independence bias. Thomas Machan's Beach e—mail

was typical of those: —— Thomas McCann's.

I've come to talk to some younger potential voters in next year 's

referendum here at Clyde College. Some of the students here, 17 and

time potentially in that referendum. up, will be voting for the first

time potentially in that referendum. What do you think of the coverage of

think the coverage is pretty 50/50. It's just that I think it is always

in the same sort of narrow context. I just think there's not any

of the UK, important to London? UK? Why

of the UK, important to London? There is an assumption that the

it. We need to help you understand people are

it. We need to help you understand why you can't do this. What is your

view of the coverage and how far you think it is answering the questions

you might have? I think the coverage is not as big as it should be, it's

a massive story for our generation and future generations. There's not

enough in the media. The last story about independence or the yes

campaign was e—mail is getting hacked, that has told me nothing

about why I should vote yes or no, it has only told me that is a bad

thing that's happened, it's not given me a clear idea. In terms of

thing that's happened, it's not how the BBC basically portrays it

all, I feel as aggrieved, I feel there's not enough on either side. I

am part of both better together am part of both better together and

Yes on Facebook —— Better Together. Every day you will have countless

information and facts on both and they are never reported by the BBC,

reported by anyone. You need to reported by anyone. You need to

remember that people don't want remember that people don't want to

hear about it all the time, they don't want the constant reminder

that this debate is happening and everyone is going to have to make

this massive decision that's going to affect our country. As for the

BBC, I think they do do it fairly enough. In terms of news coverage,

do you think it is balanced, or is do you think it is balanced, or is

there a sense there a sense of bias at all? I do

think that sometimes with the Yes campaign there's a bit less of a

level of reporting going on, and it level of

in the way they report it, like. in the way they report it, like.

Alex Salmond holding up a saltire behind David Cameron, it gets loads

of attention, it is treated as if it of attention, it is treated as

discussion. I don't think it's bias discussion. I don't think it's bias

at all. discussion. I don't think it's bias

National National Party of the Yes campaign

are louder than the are louder than the No campaign. I

don't think it's bias, I think it is purely because Alex Salmond likes to

it with this crazy image of Alex shout his mouth about a lot of

it with this crazy image of Alex Salmond being this despot, trying to

separate the union. I feel sometimes that the BBC can play into the

scaremongering that a lot of these sort of unionists want, they can

say, you know, this will happen say, you know, this will happen and

this will happen rather than looking at it from a more rational point of

view. Do you think the BBC has a vested interest in the Unionist

point of view? I don't know if that's the case. I would imagine on

some level that they did. Especially since what would happen to the BBC

in Scotland after independence, in Scotland after independence, it

is up in the air and no one even here knows what's going to happen

with it. You raised the issue about what will happen to the BBC after, I

wonder if that's something you have thought about. If Scotland were to

vote for independence, what difference would it make? That's an

important thing for me. I am on important thing for me. I am on BBC

to the BBC if we vote yes is to the BBC if we vote yes is

critical, because I feel that the BBC gives some of the best news

coverage in the world and that's very important to me. Are not too

sure what should happen to the BBC, there should be a divide, and

English BBC, a EBC, and a Scottish BBC, the coverage of the stories

internationally is of a high internationally is of a high

standard so I don't think we should lose that. We have so many questions

that aren't being answered. That's a massive point the BBC should take on

answers to these questions and they are not being given. Whether that's

the fault of the politics at the top, that could be the case, but the

media should not try to pick sides and make people choose sides, but

is what will happen if you vote yes is what will happen if you vote yes

or no. Thanks very much. or no. Thanks very much.

with the tricky task of reporting on specifically, the BBC headquarters

with the tricky task of reporting on the buildup. Viewers across the

will see plenty more of figures such will see plenty

as Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland's as Brian

political editor and author of a political editor and author of a

up coverage of the independence reporting Scotland will be

up coverage of the independence debate, as Will Newsnight Scotland,

which opts out of the UK wide which opts out of the UK

programme from 11pm Monday to programme from 11pm Monday to

Thursday. The person in charge of BBC Scotland's news and current

affairs output is John Boothman. We affairs output is John Boothman. We

have had a lot of complaints from people who feel there's a bias in

the BBC coverage of the independence issue, and anti— independence bias,

possibly even because the BBC has a vested interest in staying in the

union. We want to be and we strive to be impartial, it a cornerstone of

all of journalism. The debate has begun and will become even more so a

polarised debate, it's not like polarised debate, it's not like an

election where you have got four or five different parties, four in

Scotland, three, now UKIP, in Scotland, three, now UKIP, in

England. You have got two sides in England. You have got two sides in a

polarised debate. When you're trying to sit in the middle of that

debate, to be in partial you're going to be the subject of

complaints. To be fair we have on planes from both sides. We deal with

these individually —— we these individually —— we have

complaints. You don't feel overall that there is an issue with more

coverage on the anti— independence side? It depends who you talk to. In

a polarised debate you're going to a polarised debate you're going to

get complaints from both sides. You're in charge of news and current

affairs in Scotland and affairs in Scotland and also

nationwide, how do you reconcile what a Scottish

needing bombardment? It is possible a UK audience, that might not be

needing bombardment? It is possible for the BBC to cover the story at

different levels. But at the end of the day, at a UK level, the

implications of this debate and the implications of this debate and the

big implications for the UK. While I big implications for the UK. While I

accept that there's less of interest so far in this story south

interest so of the border, I think that is

something that is growing and will something t?I ? something towing

grow over the period of the next year. A number the students we spoke

to at Clyde College said they felt the coverage focused too much on the

breaking news stance, flag—waving, and the political infighting, and

for issues they care about, welfare or student living and so on ——

stunneds ?? I stunneds. or student living and so on ——

stunneds. Two things have happened in the past period, there's been a

concentration on process, because it was not until a few months ago that

we knew what the question was. We didn't know until it you months ago

what the date was. We now know the question, should Scotland be an

independent country? We now know the date, September the 18th. We also

know it will be covered by the electoral commission. Yeah, we do

news programmes, and sometimes there is a tendency if someone is engaged

and others are launching a campaign that that is what we would cover.

But I can assure everyone that during the course of the next year,

slightly over a year, we will get into the meat of all of the issues

that we're talking about, whether its economy, welfare, defence,

immigration, all of these issues across a whole breadth of the

in the run—up to the referendum. A in the run—up to the referendum. A

lot of viewers will be wondering what a "yes" vote for independence

would mean for the BBC in Scotland. The BBC needs to do two things in

the referendum. One, it needs to impartially cover the issue of

broadcasting and what happens to it and our journalists will do that.

Secondly there's the issue of what happens to the BBC. The BBC as a

corporate identity has taken the position that it will not engage in

scenario planning, that is right and proper. The BBC has experience of

this after the last devolution referendum, it wasn't until after

the democratic wishes of the the democratic wishes of the

Scottish people were known, that Scottish people were known, that is

Scottish pe? I Scottish peat is Scottish people were known, that is

to create a Scottish parliament that to create a Scottish parliament that

we have now, that the current model of broadcasting that the BBC uses

edition of Newswatch. Many thanks to very much.

edition of Newswatch. Many thanks to all who contributed and sent in

their views. If you would like to send us your views on any aspect of

BBC News and current affairs then you can telephone:

You can watch this programme again and any of our additions from the

past year. Thanks very much. For