Consider the source....

[captainsblog]

The Vote in Scotland is tomorrow, and the No's seem to be pulling ahead- thanks, in large part, to the fearmongering of recent weeks coming from many sources that come up online.  Most of the fearmongeriest of them seem to be coming from the Telegraph, which doesn't surprise me. When I lived there for a summer in Maggie's days, people called it the Torygraph.

In fact, I remember being taught an entire catalog of how to understand the slants coming through the British press at the time.  This is a quote of it from a 1987 episode of Yes, Prime Minister, but I'd heard the bit long before that:

Humphrey: "The only way to understand the Press is to remember that they pander to their readers' prejudices."

Hacker: Don't tell me about the press, I know exactly who reads the papers: The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.
Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?
Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

(Not responsible for the linkage; Wikipedia put those in).

Now, some of these may have changed over time; Rupert Murdoch had only recently purchased The Times when I was over there, so it may have since gone more off the right deep end (and/or toward more tits).  What say you there? Are these publications covering the vote in the ways these old-line stereotypes would predict?  And what effect is it having?

Enquiring minds and all that....

Comments

[thanatos-kalos.livejournal.com]

Argh...I don't have time to properly research/write up a properly theorised argument. That said, all the media outlets are biased; Auntie has ignored Yes demonstrations in London, most English papers are promoting No whilst (last I looked) the Scottish media are mixed. Generally speaking, however, both sides are engaging in the usual tactics of nationalist rhetoric, from what I've been able to read. This means appeals to emotion, promises of dubious substance and even more dubious long-term considerations (e.g., promising to devolve more power in Scotland means what for Wales and NI?). The SNP are drastically underestimating the amount of work/instability that will come out of a yes vote as well, though Westminster are being their usual incompetant selves (see above re: devolution) about that as well. So, in conclusion, there's no way to tell how this will play out. :(

[ellettra.livejournal.com]

I hope they go with independence. It will be interesting to see, either way. Also interestingly, I saw this morning that the YES vote had pulled ahead. So I think the answer to your enquiry is fairly obvious!