It has almost become a staple fact in the independence referendum that the more people know about independence, the more likely they are to vote Yes. To some, this will appear an odd fact, as they think that they receive all the information they need about the referendum from the British mainstream media outlets. The information that comes from the mainstream media, however, is unequivocally biased and full of party political agenda, no matter how much they try to tell you otherwise.
The main flaw with the mainstream British media establishment, is that it is driven by an agenda funded by wealthy British businessmen and politicians. In our capitalist economy, the media relies on sources of funding to keep itself afloat.Outlets such as the newspapers and tabloids know they are a dying industry, and as a result will do anything to keep themselves afloat as the internet and social media, which is free for the most part, strangles them.
Thus, they will try to appeal to those in the establishment and the wealthiest in society in order to gain much needed revenue. The press will satisy the wishes of what those in the establishment and the masses want to hear. They will often appeal to those in power in society in order to gain revenue from donations. And will equally appeal to the whims of the masses in order to generate more sales. That is why, in the independence referendum, it is important to split the mainstream media from actual informed debate which will help people make up their minds which way to vote.
The debate about Scotland's future should not be held by those driven by wealth and a corporate agenda, it should be held in communities, schools, and universities; by the people actually affected by the issues in the referendum. The reason why this should be the case, is that time and time again debates in schools, communities, and universities have shown that even the information provided by one debate, is enough to sometimes drastically turn the voting intentions around.
A debate hosted by the marketing company Nth Degree in the Royal Society of Edinburgh, showed that after the debate, the Yes vote increased dramatically to 75%, compared to 25% for No. Another debate in Abertay University showed that the Yes vote increased to 51% compared to a No vote of 38%; the pre-debate poll showed a result of 59% No and 21% Yes. Strathclyde University held a debate where the post-debate vote was 60% voting Yes and 24% voting No. What's surprising about this debate was that at the start, Yes was actually winning 56.5%, and aftwerwards Yes rose whilst No and undecided voters shrunk.
At Edinburgh Napier University, the Yes vote attracted a stunning 80% after the debate. To provide balance to counter the inevitable claims that "It's just universities", St Ninians High School in Kirkintilloch showed an impressive swing of 50% to Yes from No and undecided voters. Prestwick Academy provided a swing to Yes after their debate.
As the infographic shows, before the debate, the majority of pupils voted No. Whereas afterwards, the majority turned to a Yes vote. To add further balance, a BBC News referendum debate even showed a turnaround for Yes. After the debate, 62% voted Yes, whereas 38% voted No. As can be seen in the graph below.
Therefore, it can be surmised from the figures above that the Yes
campaign primary need does not lie with trying to woo the population
with high-profile celebrity appearances. It lies with informing the people of Scotland about the real facts surrounding independence. From my time writing and reading about the referendum, all the major facts surrounding independence are on our side.
We know that the Scottish economy is indeed not a backwater which cannot survive on its own. But is instead a vibrant, and diverse economy with potential coming out of its ears. The only thing holding it back is an archaic and unrepresentative government that does not pertain to our interests at home or abroad.
The Yes campaign has to seize upon the advantage it has with facts, and attempt to drive them home by allowing the people of Scotland make up their minds through informed debates where the facts are most certainly on our side. The Scottish independence referendum will not be won through flashy propaganda or celebrity cameos, it will instead be won in communities, schools, and universities. Knowledge is indeed power in this campaign, and the Yes side has to grasp the opportunity to inform people and win them over through reason.
The main flaw with the mainstream British media establishment, is that it is driven by an agenda funded by wealthy British businessmen and politicians. In our capitalist economy, the media relies on sources of funding to keep itself afloat.Outlets such as the newspapers and tabloids know they are a dying industry, and as a result will do anything to keep themselves afloat as the internet and social media, which is free for the most part, strangles them.
Thus, they will try to appeal to those in the establishment and the wealthiest in society in order to gain much needed revenue. The press will satisy the wishes of what those in the establishment and the masses want to hear. They will often appeal to those in power in society in order to gain revenue from donations. And will equally appeal to the whims of the masses in order to generate more sales. That is why, in the independence referendum, it is important to split the mainstream media from actual informed debate which will help people make up their minds which way to vote.
The debate about Scotland's future should not be held by those driven by wealth and a corporate agenda, it should be held in communities, schools, and universities; by the people actually affected by the issues in the referendum. The reason why this should be the case, is that time and time again debates in schools, communities, and universities have shown that even the information provided by one debate, is enough to sometimes drastically turn the voting intentions around.
A debate hosted by the marketing company Nth Degree in the Royal Society of Edinburgh, showed that after the debate, the Yes vote increased dramatically to 75%, compared to 25% for No. Another debate in Abertay University showed that the Yes vote increased to 51% compared to a No vote of 38%; the pre-debate poll showed a result of 59% No and 21% Yes. Strathclyde University held a debate where the post-debate vote was 60% voting Yes and 24% voting No. What's surprising about this debate was that at the start, Yes was actually winning 56.5%, and aftwerwards Yes rose whilst No and undecided voters shrunk.
At Edinburgh Napier University, the Yes vote attracted a stunning 80% after the debate. To provide balance to counter the inevitable claims that "It's just universities", St Ninians High School in Kirkintilloch showed an impressive swing of 50% to Yes from No and undecided voters. Prestwick Academy provided a swing to Yes after their debate.
As the infographic shows, before the debate, the majority of pupils voted No. Whereas afterwards, the majority turned to a Yes vote. To add further balance, a BBC News referendum debate even showed a turnaround for Yes. After the debate, 62% voted Yes, whereas 38% voted No. As can be seen in the graph below.
We know that the Scottish economy is indeed not a backwater which cannot survive on its own. But is instead a vibrant, and diverse economy with potential coming out of its ears. The only thing holding it back is an archaic and unrepresentative government that does not pertain to our interests at home or abroad.
The Yes campaign has to seize upon the advantage it has with facts, and attempt to drive them home by allowing the people of Scotland make up their minds through informed debates where the facts are most certainly on our side. The Scottish independence referendum will not be won through flashy propaganda or celebrity cameos, it will instead be won in communities, schools, and universities. Knowledge is indeed power in this campaign, and the Yes side has to grasp the opportunity to inform people and win them over through reason.
count me in scotland...alba gu brath
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Robert. I have one important criticism, the blog is so hard to read because of the background that I almost gave up. You're message is too important to detract from it with a colourful background.
ReplyDeleteHey Bill, I've widened the widths of the main blog to make it easier to read and to detract from the colourful background. Hope it helps.
DeleteHi Robert, Great article! Just for info - It is very hard to read the thin black writing on the colourful background on my mobile device. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI've changed the theme for mobile to the simple theme, that should make it a lot easier to read.
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