A HUGE concern in the Yes movement has been the unchallenged barrage of propaganda and spin from the Westminster Government aided and abetted by a complicit, lazy and compliant mainstream media.

That’s the view of many activists such as Yes Edinburgh Central member Jim Davidson who said: “British nationalists have used devices such as confirmation biases, justification narratives, disinformation and Orwellian language to great effect and invested millions of pounds in the process for the simple reason that these techniques work for them.

“Make no mistake these devices are as dangerous as they are effective and are fundamentally important in conservative political campaigning. They have been used to start wars, infringe freedoms, cut living standards, persecute minorities, obscure corruption and misrepresent reality. The Yes campaign cannot counter these devices unless we understand how they operate.”

Jim recently encountered the work of Bill Dale on “reframing the narrative,” using the dual concepts of Framing and Reframing, based on the the research of Professor George Lakoff.

It offers Yes campaign activists a method which provides an understanding of how propaganda is being used against the movement, how to counter it and also to persuade No voters to change sides.

At Jim’s request, Bill will conduct a “reframing the narrative” session in The Nelson Hall at 5 Spittalfield Crescent – the junction of St. Leonard’s Street and Bernard Terrace – in Edinburgh on Sunday, July 15, from 2pm to 5pm. It is a free event and open to all Yes supporters

Bill built his reframing events based on his extensive experience of developing and running countless training and development programmes in Europe, UK, the USA and the Far East.

Bill commented: “Ever wondered why you have had clear facts rejected? Ever had a simplistic argument repeated back to you even though there is no evidence to support it? Ever heard the statement ‘don’t worry, the truth will out’? What is going on here? How do you deal with these situations?

“Reframing is a technique which enables you to work with another party to put your point across without reinforcing their existing preconceptions. “Facts alone do not change people’s opinions. It may surprise you, but in many cases presenting clear facts actually reinforces people’s existing misconceptions.

“How we reframe establishment propaganda is perhaps the biggest single challenge facing us in working for self- determination for Scotland.

“Without effective reframing much campaigning effort is not only ineffective, it can actually be counter-productive.”