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BBC Scotland and the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum: One-Day Symposium

In association with the International Association of Media and History (IAMHIST) and the University of Glasgow, UK

Hosted via Zoom, University of Glasgow, on Monday 11 October 2021, 9.30am – 4.30pm (BST)

18 September 2021 marks the 7-year anniversary of the day the Scottish electorate went to the polls to answer the question, ‘should Scotland be an independent country?’ Although the answer was in favour of remaining in the union, with 55% of the electorate voting No, the 2014 Scottish independence referendum changed the political landscape in Scotland. Indeed, the question is currently dominating cultural and political discourse in the UK in the wake of Brexit, with a possible Indyref2 hovering on the horizon. At the heart of this discourse sits BBC Scotland, the public service broadcaster which not only told the story of the 2014 referendum campaign – providing the lion’s share of television and radio coverage of the campaign – but was also a major part of the story. BBC Scotland occupied a contentious position during the campaign, with its news coverage of the event accused of institutional pro-union bias by pro-independence supporters. This resulted in mass protests outside BBC Scotland headquarters in Glasgow in the months leading up to the vote and there is still an ongoing division between the broadcaster and some parts of the Scottish electorate seven years later.

Organised by Challenge winner Mhairi Brennan, this one-day symposium will focus on BBC Scotland’s position in Indyref, looking at the role the broadcaster played in creating a narrative about the campaign, it’s potential for shaping cultural memory of the event, and what this might mean for its position if another referendum happens. Programme makers and academics will come together to discuss how the campaign was covered, how that material has been archived, re-used, and might be used, and what lessons might be learnt for the future. Panellists include Ian Small (BBC Scotland Head of Policy), Vicky Plaine (BBC Scotland Head of Archive), Sarah Bromage (Scottish Political Archive), Joanne Taylor (freelance archive producer), Coree Brown Swan (Centre on Constitutional Change), Marina Dekavalla (University of Sussex), Alice Doyle (University of Stirling), Maike Dinger University of Stirling) and Daniel O’Malley (University of Glasgow)

By bringing together media practitioners and scholars to focus on BBC Scotland’s role in the broadcasting and archiving of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, this event interconnects with IAMHIST’s goal of creating a dialogue between industry and academy, and between established scholars and ECRs, to look at history through the lens of audio/visual media, and to consider the cultural impact of a major moment in broadcasting history.

For programme information and details on how to sign up, please visit: IAMHIST Challenge Event: BBC Scotland and the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum |<http://iamhist.net/2021/09/iamhist-challenge-event-bbc-scotland/>


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