VETERAN BBC journalist Jim Naughtie says it is “weird” that Alex Salmond is still critical of Nick Robinson and the corporation’s coverage of the independence referendum.
Naughtie, a regular presenter of Radio 4’s Today Programme who hosted Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland in the run-up to the referendum, was speaking Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The Keith-born journalist said he and Salmond had discussed the BBC’s coverage over the weekend at the Beyond Borders festival.
“He said the BBC coverage of the referendum was a disgrace and I respectfully disagreed,” Naughtie said.
“I think the personalisation of it, a year on, is bizarre.” he added. “I think the idea that the former First Minister ... is still getting at Nick for one alleged offence ... is bizarre.”
A week before the referendum a report by Robinson said Salmond did not answer a question at a press conference.
Video showed he spoke to the question for eight minutes. Robinson admitted last week he phrased the report badly, but criticised demonstrations about BBC bias at the corporations’s Pacific Quay site in Glasgow a week before the poll as comparable to something seen in Putin’s Russia.
Naughtie distanced himself from those comments, saying: “We all choose our phrases.” He said he would have used a different comparison, but added: “I just think it’s weird that Alex Salmond is still pursuing that argument.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here