BBC decision to stop airing the daily briefings

[Srictlybakeoff]

Just as things start to get more worrying again, the BBC have decided to stop showing the First Ministers daily briefings. There is an implication that the decision is political. It seems o me to be a very biased move.

Maybe people have stopped tuning in for it and it's a ratings decision. I know i dont bother listening live anymore just check the website for a summary. I think that's more likely than a political conspiracy.

As it was only shown on BBC Scotland I think it is something that should continue. This is the leader of a country delivering information everyday and especially when the restrictions have just been tightened again. There will be many elder folk for whom the tv and radio is their only means of communication. Given the continual run of repeats and that they cannot make that much new stuff because of Covid I cannot see their argument. What are they going to put in place of the briefing? Reruns of Bake Off?? Will Nigel Farage still get airtime even though he speaks for no-one and represents no party?

Meh

I think it’s wrong, and definitely politically motivated. Not impressed with the BBC - but not surprised..

I'm not convinced it's politically motivated other than the fact that the updates stray into politics and they are supposed to give even coverage to all parties, damned if they do and damned if they don't.

There are plenty of other avenues for the info and a briefing when something changes or even once a week is plenty.

I'm no BBC fan or snp fan but there are as many moaning of bias on either side so maybe they have the balance right?

My view as a non snp fan is that they definitely get the rub of the green. Snp fans disagree so who is right?

But there is nothing really to deliver. Whatever info can be released in an A4 sheet to whoever is interested. A 45 min daily broadcast is by now unnecessary and I am not aware of any other country still doing it (but may be mistaken).
In addition, as it transpires from this thread, it does convey the sense that there there is still an ever evolving emergency, while the emergency was over back in June. These days things move at a much slower pace.
Besides, the additional/relaxation of restrictions are usually delivered in a different way (SP or the press), so I don't really see the point of a daily televised broadcast.
And let's face it, the briefing has been used to score political points, so by many has been dubbed "the daily party political broadcast". So, no... I don't really see how it is in the public interest. The vast majority of people won't even notice (or care)

I don't really care if it was political or not but it's the wrong time. It also is really dismissive of viewers who cannot access the information digitally or those who rely on the BSL availability. So on grounds of exclusion I object.

It’s about time. I, for one will be glad to that that divisive harridan doesn’t get the platform to lecture us and speak at us as if we are children on a daily basis . All info can be put on the Scotgov website if one really feels the need to look it up. Anything major will fall within the “editorial merit” opt in given to them by the BBC.

I have never understood why Ms Sturgeon's lectures are delivered daily to me here in Greater Manchester. Yet my own local and national "leaders" are persona non grata.

I don't live in Scotland. Happy to see the back of her, tbh

Lidl, I think they could still include the statement about numbers and any changes on the news with subtitle or BSL facility so people still get access to what they need? It doesn't have to be digital only. I don't see any need for this info to continue to be delivered by the FM. A newsreader or other civil servant would be sufficient and maybe a weekly briefing with questions?

I think it’s great that the BBC are going to stop broadcasting the daily Sturgeon Party Political Broadcasts.

It suits Sturgeon’s election and independence agenda to keep us all in a state of panic beholden to what the dear leader says indefinitely.

And on top of all that, is it really the best use of her time? Despite my non allegiance, I've no doubt she works hard so surely between getting ready and delivering every day it will be well over an hour and in the past probably longer, they must have got pretty slick at them by now.

I hardly believe that those who rely on sign language are really going to be affected by the lack of the daily "briefing". They will get the same information through whatever channel they get the rest of the news.
Let's face it, the sign language bit is simply a piece of theater to give gravitas to the briefing.

I think it's ridiculous to stop covering it just now, with fluctuations in numbers and different targeted action in different areas. The questions from journalists are very different to the questions in Holyrood and the views of the CMO etc are valuable. It should at least be on the BBC Scotland channel even if not BBC News. And as BBC News inevitably focus on the rules in England (makes sense as that's where the bulk of their audience are) having a place to go for the Scottish position is really important.

The briefings have been a bit repetitive of late, but were informative and easily accessible to all. With the increasing numbers it would have been better to keep them for those that prefer that format, but maybe reduce to twice a week.

My mum, like many elderly, is going to struggle to get reliable factual up to date information if the briefings do stop and will soon believe it is all over.

She cannot use SG website, facebook, or twitter feeds. She cannot interpret the bias in media reporting to decipher the facts from opinion (she buys the Daily Fail 🤦‍♀️ on Saturday because it has the best TV guide pullout and she can't work the one on the TV!)

In England (and in the rest of Europe AFAIK) they manage just fine without a daily "briefing".
It should have stopped in June at the latest as you can get whatever development there is on the news. The briefing just perpetuates a feeling of continuous emergency we don't live anymore in.

@WeAllHaveWings, all the more reason to stop the daily scaremongering.

..and unless it#s changed, we aren't actually getting the info we need. We know hospital admissions aren't much changed or indeed those in ICU but we still have no idea how many of those are being treated for Covid as opposed to just having it.

The numbers they are currently reporting are meaningless and the more asymptomatic people they test, the more rubbish the figures become. We truly have no idea if numbers are actually going up but restrictions have been tightened and are a mess of contradiction.

Teenagers in school with each other and schools no doubt doing their best to keep some restrictions in contact but they are together indoors from multiple households but then they are not allowed to walk home in the outdoors in more than twos?

@Arkadia

I hardly believe that those who rely on sign language are really going to be affected by the lack of the daily "briefing". They will get the same information through whatever channel they get the rest of the news. Let's face it, the sign language bit is simply a piece of theater to give gravitas to the briefing.

The sign language is a vitally important bit of the briefing if you are deaf or hard of hearing. Live subtitles are rubbish (slow, the wrong words, often make no sense). You could read a transcription of the briefing, but you miss the nuances of speech - which bits are being emphasised, paused, intonations etc, which a good signer would but across.

What is terrible is that Boris's speeches aren't translated by someone standing next to him. If it is a 'vital' or 'important' message from the government it would be good to have it translated in real time so that the 10+% of hard of hearing people in the country get an accurate message too.

Of course it would be even better if those hard of hearing people could actually access sign language training. Out of all my family with hearing difficulties, I'm the only one who has learnt - it costs £1000s.

Yes, I read the news daily anyway - but a lot of governments around the world translate their leaders briefings live for a reason.

I am not a fan of NS or an SNP voter but I think the briefings should continue to be shown on TV. People don’t need to watch it if they don’t want to but they should be able to do so.

I follow Travelling Tabby for easy to access (and indeed understand) statists. I also have access to many platforms . I don't agree with the removal of any barriers to inclusion. That's just observation from hearing impaired colleagues, digitally excluded elderly or those in poverty and young people with low literacy skills. None of these apply to me personally but doesn't prevent me from seeing their point of view and supporting their objections.

Politics is not my thing personally. I tend to steer clear of discussion when it heads that way. Most threads seem to veer that way in Scotsnet just now but I dip in and out as there are still aspects which are apolitical .

@Arkadia

I hardly believe that those who rely on sign language are really going to be affected by the lack of the daily "briefing". They will get the same information through whatever channel they get the rest of the news. Let's face it, the sign language bit is simply a piece of theater to give gravitas to the briefing.

I am no expert but I think that some people in the Deaf community may find it difficult to understand subtitles as BSL is their first language, not written English

@RamblingFar, the point is that there is no need for a briefing. Should there be an emergency, or an important announcement to make, then by all means, have the sign language guy.
Sign language at the moment is being used simply to make the "briefing" look important.

@MadameBlobby, I think very few people's first language is written English.

I can't believe it costs the BBC a lot of money to show these, especially as there is literally nothing on BBC Scotland at that time of day. I think they should continue as they are very useful.

I would also like to see a daily UK briefing with the same format.