The Ring
And lo, there is fresh round of naval gazing within the Scottish political blogosphere on the future of blogging and the like.
Jeff at SNPTV has considered if Scottish blogging is dying...
Chris at Leaves on the Line is bored of the Midnight Cowboys...
Calum at, well, himself prefers a straight up rammy of ideas..
And Will of J Arthur McNumpty is considering things upon his blog’s 4th birthday.
I`m sure what you’ve all been hanging on tenterhooks for the NtL take on the State of the Blognation.
First up the Wardog(...debacle?...shenanigans?) hoopla. Wardog was a self-avowed nationalistic blogger but was not actually an SNP member. His blog was a vessel for some furious anger and made a number of unsubstantiated claims about some Labour politicos.
A few members of the Scottish Press Corp (Holyrood 
Division) read his blog and scented a tale. Wardog was open on his blog about his identity and the journos only had to make a few cursory google searches and hey presto they had some column inches filled. One of the details they discovered was that Wardog was a part-time lecturer for RGU and so they made the call to the Uni high heid yins. Wardog decided that life was too short to have such press attention on his blog and hung up his keyboard.
Who are the villains of this piece?
Those nasty bad journos? I don`t think so (jeezo defending hacks for the second time...) as they were, after all, doing their job. Now I understand that people may not like what that job entails but it is what it is. A few folk have screamed that the affair has been an attack on freedom of speech and that it was all a Labour organised plot as all of these hacks are Labour and unionist nudge nudge wink wink. Eh, no they are not. If Labour did hold such sway with the Scottish Press Corp don’t you think their coverage over the last 12 months should have been a lot better? If the Scottish Press are their friends...then who need friends! Time to put away the tin foil hats. (Rather than rerun my past arguments on Journos see here) Does the SNP get a hard time in the press...yes I think it does, but that is much more to do with the editorial line as set by the editors and owners of those organs and not their hired hands.
Wardog was free (and indeed is free) to say what he liked on his blog. Just as the press were free to report it. The confusion that some are making is the difference between freedom of speech and freedom from consequence. The minute that any of us starts a political blog, and begins to give our views in a manner that can be read by all and sundry, we have entered into the ring. And if you are in the ring and start to throw a few punches yourself you can`t be too surprised if a few punches come your way every now and again – be that in the form of comments on the blogs or, as in this case, in the press.
Just because it’s a blog doesn`t mean that the laws of defamation doesn`t apply. Publish and be damned I say. There have been a few concerned that Wardog used bad sweary words (‘jings’, I would even go so far as to say ‘crivens’). I`m not really fussed about that to be honest. If that is the style you want to go in for then gaun yersel, but it ain`t for me. Don`t get me wrong, in daily life I cuss away with the best of them but if I`m on the blog and trying to make a point...then retreating to swearing just seems a bit too limp to do the job. So please be assured that this blog will remain a ‘family show’.
Is this a problem for the SNP? I don`t think so to be honest. I don`t see how the party, or indeed any party, can be held responsible for the outpourings of a random punter – and a punter who is not even a member of that party. Party MSPs, MPs, Councillors, Candidates....if this lot starts to talk nonsense on their blogs then I would argue that then this would indeed be something that reflects on the party.
For example, if Richard Thomson was to start spouting unpleasantries and fabricated stories on his blog then I would argue that this would be a problem for the party, whereas if Will Patterson was to do the same I would argue it isn`t a problem for the party. The difference being that Will is a private citizen and Richard is a representative of the party as a parliamentary candidate. I`m pleased to say that knowing both of these fine fellows that neither are likely to embarrass themselves or the party anytime soon.
The NtL take in short...
Swearing is not, in and of itself, a bad thing but making up stories and engaging in defamation is. Scottish journos are not, on the whole, in the pocket of any political party. Some are indeed members of political parties...and some of the parties they are members of might surprise you.
2 viewpoints:
Just a thought but how do we know that Wardog's blog account was 'fabricated' ?
I remain a relatively silent observer of blogs but had read in passing a number of wardogs posts during the Glasgow NE by-election.
Whilst I abhor unnecessary cursing, the points that Wardog made seem fair game and very far from "making up stories and engaging in defamation", far less demanding the attentions of wandering News of the World Journalists
From what I saw on his blog, he accused Jim Murphy of barging in front of other MP's during the Queens Speech, well I watched the coverage like many others and watched it again when it was on iplayer and he does indeed appear to do exactly that.
First whilst waiting for the procession outside the commons chamber he barges past four MP's to join the throng and then again where he appears to shoulder in front of the SNP's Angus Robertson.
Jim Murphy then get's remarkably close to Nick Clegg, who must have felt his breath on his neck.
This is surely simply factual and whilst Wardog's description of these actions are not necessarily the words that I would use, the images caught on tv don't particularly reflect very well on Jim Murphy either.
Just how did the Secretary of Scotland get from being outside the chamber, standing behind four other MP's to be standing directly behind Gordon Brown at the start of the speech?
Wardog also seems to have made a comparison of this with his account of Richard Baker shoving infront of people who were waiting for a bus in Dundee (I think)
Indeed if I recall correctly, what he actually said in his original tweet on the matter (which incidentally was sent on the morning of the 2nd of December, weeks before the post in question) was that he (wardog) was actually an 'eyewitness' and onboard the very bus.
I haven't yet seen any evidence that Richard Baker was or wasn't on that bus and didn't barge past others to get on it.
So far, all I've seen is a denial on the part of some bloggers of the plausibility of wardogs account but without any substance at all.
Has anyone asked whether Richard Baker was on a bus from Dundee that morning?
Baker seems to be a pretty highly strung individual as witnessed most weeks in the parliament at FMQ's.
Wardog's account, doesn't seem entirely inconsistent with those performances.
Add in the potential displeasure of being delayed at Dundee due to a closed rail line, a busy schedule ahead and the picture becomes quite believable.
Again though, whether factual or not, are we really saying that saying as much on a blog is defamatory to a point of media interest?
Lastly, Wardog's blog was very clear on Willie Bain, he simply asked a series of questions relating to his well publicised domicile and in particular his contributions to Glasgow Council by way of council tax.
Again I've seen little in the way of rebuttal from the articles that appeared on Sunday and the subsequent chatter online.
Isn't asking whether Willie Bain, who let's face it was accusing others of 'ripping off glasgow', had actually paid any council tax to the city whilst in employment not a relevant question?
It all seems a bit like using a hammer to crack a nut and although I don't believe the political bias angle either, there is something strange about how this 'story' came about.
I can't help feeling that it's a unfamiliar world when Journo's accuse blogger's of 'making it up' and then make no effort themselves to ask the questions and gather evidence to refute it.
Let's be frank, bloggers aren't journalists even if and as I suspect many aspire to be.
Hello Simon, your comment is about as long as one of my posts...and that’s saying something!
I never directly described Wardog’s accounts as 'fabricated' – but from the few posts I did see there was little attempt to stand up any of these tales. Jim Murphy barging...I couldn`t care less to be honest.
“Has anyone asked whether Richard Baker was on a bus from Dundee that morning?”
I can say that I have never...and I suspect will never...ask Richard Baker if he has been on any bus anywhere. In the same way I won`t be asking him if he has ever been a drug mule. I`m not a great fan of asking people to prove negatives - ‘and when did you stop beating your wife’ etc.
“Baker seems to be a pretty highly strung individual as witnessed most weeks in the parliament at FMQ's.”
I would have to agree. My issue with Baker is that I simply don`t think he’s up to the task in hand.
“Again though, whether factual or not, are we really saying that saying as much on a blog is defamatory to a point of media interest?”
If it can’t be substantiated then I fear the answer is yes. If you are a jobbing journo and have column inches to fill then absolutely. Do I think it was worthy of reporting? Nope...but then as my writing on this blogs proves I`m no journalist!
The Willie Bain stuff I switched off from as there was a lot of stories being made up about the guy which were total nonsense. I`m not attributing these to anyone in particular, as they doubtless had multiple sources, but they were fabricated.
Bain did live with his parents in Glasgow, and worked in London, and did not have a wife and two kids or any number of more scurrilous rumours that did the rounds. At worst you could say that Bain is a bit of a weird character...and if being a weird character is enough to bar you from elected office then we better start clearing out councils and parliaments.
Did Bain pay the council tax...it’s not something that animates me but it may be something others are concerned with. When I read those accusations I didn`t think much of them as the other ‘scandals’ about Bain had proven to be nonsense. The blogosphere that cried wolf? Who knows - no me.
“there is something strange about how this 'story' came about.”
I don`t know about that. Hacks trail the blogs on a regular basis – a wee check of my of statcounter and I can see IPs for News International and the Scotsman. If there is a nugget of a story on a blog then it makes life easy for the journo. The press corp are all situated in the same are of the parliament and doubtless since they are in the same profession they socialise and talk shop. Just as I might chat to folk who I know are politicos whether that saw some blog or other, they probably do the same.
I think the catalyst here was that Wardog kicked out when the journos came calling and looking for a tale. From there it looks like it spiralled.
“Let's be frank, bloggers aren't journalists even if and as I suspect many aspire to be.”
I agree, but there are obligations on us as ‘publishers’ and we have to be mindful of that.
Your comment on this has been one of the clear argued thoughts I`ve seen on this subject...ever thought of starting a blog?
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