THE SNP has expressed concerns over BBC Scotland plans to have opposition politicians and pundits analyse Nicola Sturgeon’s coronavirus briefings.
The corporation was forced into a climb down on Thursday, reversing their decision to stop broadcasting, as a matter of course, the Scottish Government’s daily Covid updates.
Although bosses at Pacific Quay said they were opting out to ensure a “consistent approach to coverage of the various government briefings across the UK nations”, there was speculation they’d succumbed to pressure from Labour and the Tories.
Last week Labour peer George Foulkes claimed he was responsible for the new policy, saying that the BBC had taken the decision after his “representations”.
In a statement on Thursday, a spokesperson for the BBC said they would be looking to “further enhance” their coverage of the Scottish Government briefings.
READ MORE: SNP media spokesperson denounces BBC decision to axe coronavirus briefings
He said: “We will incorporate other voices and other perspectives into the briefings, bringing news and views from around Scotland and beyond, involving politicians from across the political spectrum, as well as commentators, analysts and other experts.”
A spokesperson for the SNP questioned whether turning the briefings into a knockabout political discussion programme was appropriate.
He told us: “We very much welcomed the fact that the BBC abandoned its plans to scrap coronavirus briefings being live on TV. If the BBC wishes to extend its coverage around these briefings, we encourage them to prioritise advice from the professional public health community.
“The last thing the public need is a platform for misinformation and personal viewpoints that are at odds with science.”
The BBC said that all their programmes are produced in line with their editorial guidelines, including the Scottish Government’s briefing.
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