A few days ago Wings Over Scotland produced an excellent piece on new media. In this article Stu Campbell highlighted that since 2014 many of those that had contributed to the vibrant scene had long since ceased to exist. There was, of course, some chest beating. He clearly demonstrated that without even trying he is still away and by far the most popular indy new media site around. He even managed to maintain that position while being on a four-month hiatus. He is absolutely correct on both observations. I would also say, and rightly he deserves to have the status of number one site. He has earned that right, nobody does investigative journalism better on either side of the debate. Though it has to be said, the Unionist side doesn’t actually do any investigative stuff. They know they would only turn up corruption, criminality, lies, nepotism and deceit. That would harm the fragile Union so there is no chance of them just doing their job.

As you would expect from a WOS story, it was backed by detail and numbers. It showed that his publication gets almost twice as many unique visitors as his nearest peer. I purposely say peer and not competitor perhaps I am naive but I like to think we are all on the same side. We take different viewpoints on different issues however we all want the same thing.

I didn’t recognise the metrics that Stu referred to and I am not sure if this blog even registers on them. It would seem not as one of my faithful readers pointed out we didn’t even merit a mention! 😁😁 This blog was not the only one that didn’t get any recognition there were many others including my old sparring partner Peter Bell. In his own inimitable fashion, Peter penned an excellent response indicating he was still around and still penning his opinions, three times a week no less. Both of these are below.

The distant choir

https://ihavequestions.scot/2020/08/28/no-deid-yet/

This blog I began post 2017 General Election in response to the appalling SNP General Election campaign. Having moved to Catalonia and unable to campaign had left me frustrated. I was to say the least extremely unimpressed with the way the Party fought or should I say capitulated during that election. I proposed to write a couple of pieces to get a few things off my chest. Here we are some three years later still giving my opinions. I have hoped since the first offerings we have improved and honed my style. I feel that I have, and some of you, it seems agreed. My first efforts managed to get a few hundred hits, nowadays we get anywhere between 1,500 and 5,000 it all depends. I never set out to become the biggest or best. I know my limitations, and I am not expecting any Pulitzer Prizes any year soon.Nor did I begin writing to earn copious amounts of cash! To date I have never done nor do I ever intend to hold a crowdfunder. My small operation does not take much funding. I have a few very loyal patrons that subscribe monthly to the site. I am extremely grateful and humbled they think my writing worthy of their patronage. With their help and my own funds, we keep the blog and podcasts going. I look upon this as a cathartic exercise for me personally. I am extremely flattered that so many of you actually take time to read my haverings or listen to my podcasts.

My aim at all times is to do whatever I can to aid and assist the Independence movement. Recently and sadly that has meant I have felt the need to be critical of the SNP Leadership. I stress leadership because the majority in the Party are totally and completely focussed solely on Independence. Just as with the 2017 General Election, I think the leadership is letting themselves and the movement down. I will not go over the issues here again. Those of you that are regular readers or followers of me on social media know my views and the topics I refer to daily.

I want to keep on the subject regarding the Independence New Media. I am not a ‘trained journalist’ whatever that actually entails. I do however see and hear their output, and I would suggest this small blog and yours truly has more honesty and integrity than 99% of the charlatans that earn their crust lying for London. I would afford that same honesty label to all those writing in favour of Scottish Self-determination. I have had discussions with fellow bloggers and there is a consensus among us that you our loyal readers keep our feet firmly on the ground. Not just grammatical errors, any claims we make in our blogs that we have not or cannot back up with factual evidence you quickly let us know. The BBC and MSM can hide behind regulatory bodies and self- policing and always do just that. Nobody ever gets a quick response from especially the BBC or an admission of guilt. Their replies when they eventually arrive inform you they hold themselves to the highest standards and that you are wrong with your complaint and don’t call us, we’ll call you.

Here though is how we as a group could be improved. We are always reacting to news and views. Rarely are we ahead of the curve. Yes, we can have opinions on topics of the day. We are though dependent on the MSM to give us the daily topics and talking points. What we in the new media do not have is up to date insight. Every day the Unionist parties write press releases. They send those to the anti-Scottish media and Broadcasters. With no factual checking these become the daily ‘news stories. We in the new media same day or 24 hours later respond to the lies and exaggerations. Nobody does a better job of analysing and destroying this propaganda than Stu Campbell at Wings Over Scotland. His forensic destruction of Unionist lies makes him public enemy number one of the anti-Scottish press crew. What amazes me is why anyone on the side of Scotland joins in against him.

The one thing that annoys me most and I have written of it before is the SNP Comms team. The SNP just like the anti-Scottish Parties release daily press briefings. The stupidity is they only ever give these to the media, that hate them. That same dishonest, corrupt media that will not fact check a single Unionist press release suddenly becomes the protectors of truth. Well Unionist truth that is! I don’t know exactly how it works but here is my guess. An SNP release arrives in the newsroom after the automatic reflux the propagandist picks up the phone to Tory branch office. ‘We have this from SNP saying.. what have you got to attack it? Same call to Labour Branch office and Liberals too. Now they have their unionist arguments to any’ good news story.’ SNP Accused… SNP under pressure.. Critics say.. Should the House-Jock Parties have nothing counter-productive to say the Unionist media will just ignore the SNP message altogether.

Meanwhile those New Indy outlets that Stu Campbell alluded to and the ones he didn’t mention, like myself Peter Bell and all the others we can only wait for the anti-Scottish media to do their worst then we ride to the defence of the SNP, the YES Movement and the cause. At no time in that cycle does the SNP ever lift a hand to assist those trying to defend them from the onslaught. If it were not for the Independence cause and the SNP none of us would be blogging. Independence is why we bother to write anything. To date and to the best of my knowledge nobody from the SNP Comms team has ever reached out to any new media outlet. Why they think that they cannot even send out press releases to their loyal outlets defies logic. Then again when 200,000 of us take to the streets of Edinburgh or Glasgow or Aberdeen we do not see the SNP Leadership front and centre. It comes over as if we the grassroots of the movement the very heart and soul of the Independence cause are an embarrassment to the political wing. We know we are nothing without them they unfortunately hold no reciprocal feelings to the movement. Whenever Boris Johnson or any Tory Minister holds a press conference the first question always goes to Laura Kuenssberg, then usually Peston, Robinson, Telegraph, Mail etc. When SNP hold their daily briefings rarely do Broadcast Scotland get invited let alone given the first question. How about Indy live, Stu Campbell, WGD why are they not invited? Their reach is certainly greater than the Telegraph, Times, Express readership in Scotland. Why will the SNP not inform and interact with their own base? They continue to try and reach the Unionist base only. The Independence base does not buy, watch or listen to the British media output. Some may argue it is to convert soft No voters. Ask yourself this why then do the Unionist Parties not reach out to Indy Media to try and bring back soft YES voters? Any organisation needs to reach its own base too. Communicate directly and frequently with your own support and you might not face so much dissatisfaction from the grassroots.

The SNP should be doing all it can to encourage and nurture the Independence new media. To date they are doing the exact opposite they do everything to discourage it. We are your allies, not your enemy. The MSM will never give the cause a fair hearing no matter how much money you give them. No matter how many of them you give jobs to the hatred by the foreign owned press in Scotland towards our independence movement will never diminish. . You have a huge resource at your fingertips. It requires no financial stimulus or patronising. It just needs your trust and goodwill. Use us, do not abuse us!