Fresh, new Newsnet Scotland

Congratulations to Newsnet Scotland, which continues its online onward march with a brand new design and expanded following. Until now, Newsnet has been powered entirely by the energy and commitment of its volunteer team. Now it has hired its first reporter, Jolene Cargill, who covers social affairs. It has commentary from established writers such as the excellent Kenneth Roy of the Scottish Review and David Malone of Degeneration and has expanded into new areas such as sport.  But the most interesting thing about Newsnet Scotland is that it offers news as well as commentary - from a very different perspective to the mainstream. The site is pro-independence, which makes sense given that one in three Scots support that position. Many more support full economic power inside the UK. No other news outlet reflects this, true position of Scottish society. The debate is not between union and independence. The debate is between independence and more devolution. The debate is about how best to increase Scotland's influence in the UK/Europe and the world. Newsnet does this. It also attempts to give a fairer perspective on political stories in Scotland. Important government initiatives are given proper coverage and First Minister's Question time is run without commentary - allowing readers/viewers to make up their own minds. Not everything Newsnet runs is SNP policy. But it is fair.

When The Caledonian Mercury launched, there was much excitement that an online newspaper would offer a fresh perspective. Unfortunately that didn't happen. The Cal Merc - apart from Rab's occasional sketches - is timid and conservative in its approach to politics. In particular the analysis reflects the herd mentality among the mainly male press pack at Holyrood - who often regurgitate lines fed to them by the opposition, without checking the facts or looking at the wider context. Most Holyrood reporting reflects the short term, conflicit-orientated apporoach of these reporters, who, unlike many political journalists in the past, seem devoid of any idealism. They have no vision for Scotland and what it could be. That is not what motivates them. They are driven, with a few notable exceptions, by cynicism.

Newsnet, despite scant resources, manages to be anti-establishment and authoritative at the same time. It avoids the excesses of blogs by being a credible news site, using moderate language and detailed analysis to make its points.

At the Political Innovations conference on social networking recently, I lead a workshop on blogging and independence. The conclusion of many who attended the event was that the future lay in aggregated blogs, or online newspapers in the style of Huffington Post. It's as well to remember that Arianna Huffington established her eponymous newspaper because she felt America desperately needed more pro-Democrat, progressive media, particularly online. The US blogosphere, as in England, was dominated by the libertarian extreme right.  The Huffpost came into its own during Barack Obama's election campaign when millions of people followed it. The parallels with Scotland are not exact - but there are similarities - notably the absence of any pro-independence, or even pro- Scottish voice in the mainstream media. This is perplexing. In the 70s, 80s and 90s, the media in Scotland was broadly sympathetic to Home Rule, or at least "championing Scotland's corner." Now there is little campaigning on Scotland's behalf - even though the majority of Scots want their parliament to have more power. Perhaps this reflects the failure of the opposition. However the retreat into conservative unionism doesn't seem to make much commercial sense, given that newspaper circulations are falling. You would think that editors would be keen to tap into the pool of potential readers who are passionately committed to the future their country.

Anyway, Newsnet hopes to fill that void and I for one wish it well. The site currently features material on Andy Murray, a blog from the heart of the Cairo uprising, a four Part history of Scotland's Languages and a critique of the Scotland Bill's progress through Westminster. As always, its reader comments can be as illuminating as the articles themselves.

Comments

[IainMac]

Newsnet seems to be just another party political mouthpiece. I was amazed to see it backing the SNP's shameful position on the Libyan attacks. That doesn't seem to be very 'anti-establishment'.

Do you support this new war btw?

[Andrew Regan]

Poblish is a non-partisan political aggregator (blogs, Twitter, etc.) with wide coverage of Scottish politics, and also part of the Political Innovation campaign. The emphasis has been more on knitting together content, building connections, and identifying trends - rather than having editors as such, but it should give an idea what can be achieved:

http://www.poblish.org/zones/Scotland

[joanmcalpine]

hi Craig thanks for posting, fascinating as my family activities are, I wouldn't suggest posting about them on an online newspaper. However isn't it the cast that HuffPo drove a lot of traffic to the site by posting quickly on trending topics, esp in the area of entertainment? I believe a huge amount of their team's time is still devoted to watching what's trending and making sure they respond - though of course the site continues to by politics focussed - they don't bother with crime/human interest news for example

[Craigmcgill]

I don't know if I agree with the idea of mixing the personal with the political/professional on a HuffPro style site. After all, while I enjoy reading what Joan says about politics and news, would I want to read what she did with her kids? Her film reviews?

(Also, from a SEO point of view and gaining new readers you would be diluting the point of your site(s) which is why I split mine up)

A tartan HuffPro could be very interesting though and wouldn't automatically need a lot of backers, just X amount of people willing to contribute on a semi-regular editorial basis.

[Dave McEwan Hill]

I think what we need is a good look at Online radio which will be a huge phenomena in the next few years

[RandomScot]

Joan

Thanks for saying you will look into Rab.

If CalMerc is strapped for funding then they are going a funny way about getting more. Annoying the folk who might be prepared to subscribe to a journal that is even handed. Doesn't have to be proSNP, just be fair and evenhanded.

As it is, the editor of CalMerc has to protect their political analyst who seems partial, to my POV, which is, I admit, not unbiased

[joanmcalpine]

@douglasclark you raise interesting points that I have debated at length with folk. I believe the challenge is to get our sites up to the sort of professional level that will attract an audience beyond the politically engaged. That will require investment both in content and to enhance the sites technologically. The crucual thing is to post non-political material as well as the political stuff. Sometimes that can be hard because there is so much firefighting to do. But it is through entertainment, sport, culture and business - as well as hyperlocal content - that we will reach a wider audience.

[douglas clark]

Dear Joan,

I have said elsewhere that your site, and indeed Newsnet Scotland (and perhaps Bella Caledonia), are the 'go to' places for an alternative to mainstream media. I stand by that.

I am keen to see all of these sites grow to be where people read and learn. I have however no idea how that can be achieved.

Have you any thoughts on whether this sort of stuff is just preaching to a very small choir, or whether it is actually useful? For instance how many people read you rather than post? How many Labour supporters read your stuff and change their minds?

My 'go to' hero of the internet is a chap called Sunny Hundal and even he seems to recognise that we are a bit beyond making this media matter. At least beyond the margins.

And he was the chap that almost single-handedly made the debate on 'community leaders' a no no. Which was an important point to make. So, on some topics we can make a difference, but can we make a difference that matters?

I'd be grateful for your views.

[joanmcalpine]

re Rab...I suspect they may have run out of money as he was by far their biggest asset. Must look into it.

[RandomScot]

Does Rab still work for the CalMerc?

I thought perhaps Mr MacDonell's perspective was the only one desired there as I haven't seen Rab's sketches for a while.

Hamish tried a sketch, which had to get puled because he made attacking jokes against Mr Swinney and it was Hamish who was proved to be wrong.

[DougtheDug]

Arguing for more power for the Scottish Parliament within the Union was still arguing for the continuation of the Union and that argument has never been a problem within the Scottish press.

The Scottish papers never wanted independence for Scotland and that outlook has not changed but what has changed is the political landscape they are reporting on. Before it was a choice between the status quo or a devolved parliament which allowed them to support devolution because it was and still is simply local government reorganisation within the Union. Now it is choice between a devolved parliament or independence.

There is also the point that the bulk of the press in Scotland have always been Labour supporting papers and at the time of devolution the Labour party wanted to create redoubts of devolved government in Scotland and Wales to protect the party during a Conservative Government in Westminster and the papers simply followed the party line. Now the Labour party do not want to transfer any more powers at all to Scotland, whether legal or fiscal, and the papers follow the party as usual. The Calman commission with its convoluted and bureaucratic funding mechanisms and minimal power transfers both ways is a prime example of that desire by Labour to maintain the status quo. The failure of the press to criticise Calman is also an indicator of the links between the press in Scotland and the Labour party.

The papers have not retreated into a unionist bunker because they never came out in the first place.

[joanmcalpine]

There is no confusion. There were many radical people working in Scottish political journalism in the pre-devolution period who wished to see far more power than Scotland eventually obtained. The natural next step for the papers was to push for more power for the parliament. Instead they retreated into a unionist bunker, indeed seem to have gone backwards. There are many complex reasons for this, to do with the decline in newspaper influence, the competition from titles such as the Mail, as well as the long standing fear Scottish elites have of backing real change which might threaten their position.

[DougtheDug]

"...notably the absence of any pro-independence, or even pro- Scottish voice in the mainstream media. This is perplexing. In the 70s, 80s and 90s, the media in Scotland was broadly sympathetic to Home Rule"

The answer is that Home Rule is not independence and though the papers were happy for Scotland to gain another layer of government within the union the next step is independence and they certainly don't want that. The Herald, Scotsman, P&J, Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Sunday Post, Sunday Herald and the SOS have never advocated independence as far as I know and being a, "Scottish voice", in 2011 is a little too close to supporting the SNP for all of them.

It's a mistake to confuse the desire in the 70's and 80's to reorganise local government within a unitary UK with any sympathy for independence.

[David Farrer]

"The US blogosphere, as in England, was dominated by the libertarian extreme right"

Many blogs are indeed libertarian. But not "right" libertarian:

http://freedomandwhisky.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-am-not-right-libertarian.html

[cynicalHighlander]

But it still has a 'profanity filter' from our publicly funded BBC, Mubarak would be proud to have such a resource at public cost.