How to beat the Unionist media bandwagon

neil8r · How to beat the Unionist media bandwagon

I was thinking surely the only way that the Nationalist movement in Scotland can actually overcome the Unionists and their pro-unionist media is to increase our activity at grassroots level all across the country that way we do not need to go through the media we can go around it.

I would be interested to hear folks ideas on that and how specifically we could do this.

thetimeisnow · Re: How to beat the Unionist media bandwagon

neil8r · Re: How to beat the Unionist media bandwagon

Dave78

On the TAMB someone said that the BBC, DR etc. do the same job that Fox News and the right-wing Talk Radio stations do in the US.

I think that the independence movement could learn a lot for people like: http://www.moveon.org/about.html

Grant

I think it's always going to be difficult to 'beat' the Unionist media - since it's mostly companies with UK interests that own the Scottish Media.

None of the papers are particularly Nationalist minded (apart from the now defunct Scottish Standard) but the one which I think is the most Nationalist friendly is The Herald.

Like the ideas above btw.

azzuri

This is a useful thread - anyone got any other ideas?

Home Guard

The only way to beat the unionist media is hard work!! Be an active member of the SNP deliver surveys leaflets which include voter id questions using freepost, PO Box address. Then any returns chap the door and talk to people get them on board.

And to hell with the uninist media!

azzuri

How about just starting up our own (Nationalist) newspaper which is funded by adverts and written by guest writers, nationalist politicians and a small journalistic team - focusing both on short and long-term goals and the merits of independence?

This could just be a few pages - almost like a monthly newsletter - which local SNP/SSP/Green Activists and Members distribute to local newsagents/garages etc.

If you give it out free and it's funded by adverts and written by volunteers - then it can't make a loss so won't go the same way as the Scottish Standard.

Waddya think folks? Almost like canvassing for Independence all year round?

neil8r

azzuri

Of course it would - maybe between £10-15k - but surely the SNP, SSP and Greens would donate funds to it?

If it meant they got a regular voice and media outlet to the people?

Home Guard

In the 80's I ran an 8 page tabloid "community newspaper" which included 25% adverts, 25% snp politics and 50% local gossip, news, etc. It worked in that it tripled the snp vote in the area all be it from a small base. It is very hard work! We issued 6 issues a year and small businesses were more than happy to advertise.

The key in my opinion is think local! There are issues in every community which are considered not important enough for the local paper to pick up. Like somebody not getting a repair on their council house, traffic calming, etc.

My experience is that local businesses will take out advertising if it is cheap so that they can compete with supermarkets.

SLG

azzuri

Sounds good.

As you say - it could be a free local paper - 25% Nationalist, Environmental Issues and how in an Independent Scotland these could be improved, 50% Local Issues and 25% Adverts - therefore paying for the publication.

I'm sure there would be no end of people wishing to contribute, Nationalists, Socialists, Greens etc. who could focus on Local as well as National issues.

The National Issues could be transferable between the local papers meaning they would only have to fill 50% of the pages with their own local issues and the other 25% with adverts.

Home Guard

I'm a nationalist First, Second and THIRD! Why would I give column inches to the greens and the SSP who only pay lip service to independence to gain dissaffected SNP voters!

azzuri

fair enough. Smile

neil8r

I think what would be best would be a paper that could have one section that was written to cover the whole country and also a section which covered each local area. Obviously this results in more work to pull it all together(and a larger staff required) but would give us the best of both worlds a local and national paper that would have national and local adverts.