MSM Monitor

Something very suspicious went on on Friday, January 23rd at BBC Scotland with its coverage of the Hospital Inquiry final submissions. At 12:00 on Lunchtime Live Lorna Gordon summarises KC Fred Mackintosh's comments exonerating the Scottish Govt. This is contained in news bulletins. At 13:30 Lorna Gordon appears on lunchtime Reporting Scotland and again summarises KC Fred Mackintosh's comments exonerating the Scottish Govt. At 13:30 Anas Sarwar holds a press conference where Nicola Sturgeon is accused of not telling the truth about what she knows. On Newsdrive at 4pm the narrative begins to change. Fred Mackintosh's comments are missing from a recording of Lorna Gordon's earlier radio summary, although two news bulletins still mention them. The major difference is that Lorna Gordon is now replaced by Lisa Summers as lead reporter. Summers fails to mention KC Fred Mackintosh's comments exonerating the Scottish Govt. The reporter chooses other comments from the KC to summarise. At six thirty that evening on Reporting Scotland Lorna Gordon and her earlier reporting is nowhere to be seen. The programme narrative is led by a smear attack on Nicola Sturgeon from Sarwar's press conference implying the former FM is not telling the truth. Lisa Summers makes no mention of the comments by KC Fred Mackintosh that significantly undermine the smear and thus would turn the political narrative on its head. At 19:32 an article appears at the top of the BBC Scotland news page headlined 'Nicola Sturgeon denies using pressure to open Glasgow hospital early'. The article contains no mention of Fred Mackintosh's key comments. This does not look good. It looks like clear corruption.

STV News covered Anas Sarwar's grovelling apology after he insulted stroke victims. Reporting Scotland again employed a blackout.

The image in this BBC Scotland item is over three years old. How is this publicly funded station getting away with deliberately misleading the public in this manner? This is tabloid junk journalism.

Fiona Stalker "You were listening across to that interview ..." ... across to? The new fad of saying "across" when reporters used to 'cover' stories is leading to nonsensical sentences like this when presenters try to adopt the new word fad.

BBC Scotland is desperately trying to help Anas Sarwar's single issue Holyrood campaign which is essentially presenting new Scottish hospitals as riddled with infections and harmful microbes.

More NHSBad propaganda from BBC BritNat. This isn't a new hospital, it's still under construction. Mouldy plasterboard was found and replaced. It happens. BBC BritNat is trying to create an 'infection' narrative about Scotland's hospitals in the run up to the Holyrood election. That's all this is. Read the article and all the buzzwords and factoids reveal it.

Paris Gourtsoyannis would have never stooped to this when with STV. We suspect this is due to pressure to conform to a BBC Scotland agenda. There are countless NHS stats that show Scotland recovered faster than England. Gratuitously shoehorning this comparison in isn't subtle.

Why did Paris Gourtsoyannis cherry pick an NHS stat that suggested the Scottish NHS's recovery from Covid has been slower that the English NHS? This maybe legitimate behaviour for BritNat politicians, not BBC Scotland reporters. @PGourtsoyannis knows this fine well. Not good sir!

One problem with this apology of course is that it isn't made clear who he's apologising to or for what. Unless you're aware of his crass comment about stroke victims you'd have no idea.

Listen to this to the end! A spokesman for the Scottish Covid Bereaved was interviewed on Radio Scotland. He immediately seized the initiative and didn't allow Martin Geissler to steer him. When it becomes clear why, Geissler attempts to divert him but fails. The spokesman revealed that the Scottish Ambulance Service and at least one major Scottish Hospital wanted to use powered hoods during the pandemic. They were refused permission from a UK wide advisory group. This is a highly significant revelation. Geissler ignored it completely and tried to get the spokesman to criticise the cost of the Covid inquiry.

Anas Sarwar has today apologised for his disgusting 'joke' about stroke victims. Thing is, given the media falsely reported he'd apologised yesterday - he hadn't - how do they report the *actual* apology?

Patients at a Welsh hospital were operated on with equipment that hadn't been sterilised.

BOOM 🔥🔥🔥 #FMQs

Watch as Anas Sarwar suggests journalists should not use footage of him joking about 'a stroke pose' at a press conference 👇 The comments made by the Scottish Labour leader were described as a 'disgraceful joke at the expense of stroke survivors' by a leading charity

Surely we aren't going to see another 'smear by denial' headline on BBC BritNat?

Anas Sarwar's tenure as Scottish Labour leader is surely nearing an end. His performance at FMQ's was further proof that he isn't fit to lead any group at Holyrood far less lead the nation as First Minister. A thoroughly unpleasant individual. Graceless and lacking any dignity.

At least 58 babies at an NHS maternity unit at Oxford University Hospitals Trust might have survived with better care. The deaths occurred between 2019 and 2024. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

GRANGEMOUTH

Anas Sarwar in recent weeks ... Rebuked by Lord Advocate for making misleading comments relating to a live case. Condemned by Fire Fighters for making misleading comments anout the Glasgow fire. Condemned by a stroke charity for a disgusting joke. If this was John Swinney it would be all over BBC Scotland and STV News. He'd be the subject of discussions with media commentators with his suitability as FM called into question. But it isn't Swinney. It's Sarwar.

In the space of a week Anas Sarwar has been condemned by the Scottish Fire Fighters Deputy Chief for making misleading comments about the Glasgow fire and a leading charity for making a disgusting joke about having a stroke. BBC Scotland has given both stories minimal coverage.