Scotland's Referendum and the Media: National and International Perspectives

After the Referendum on whether Scotland should become an independent country in September 2014 – and following a momentous mobilisation of voters by both the Yes and No campaigns – Scotland's political environment has been fundamentally energised. But how was the Referendum campaign reported and structured in the media in Scotland, the wider United Kingdom, and in other parts of the world, and was it a matter of 'construction' rather than 'representation'? In this book scholars, commentators and journalists from Britain, Europe and beyond examine how the media across the world presented the debate itself and the shifting nature of Scottish – and British – identity which that debate revealed. Several of the contributors also explore how the emphases and constructions which were put on the debate in their particular countries illuminated these countries' own responses to nationalism and separatism. The consequences of the Referendum’s No result are traced in the media through until the May general election of 2015.

Table of Contents:
Preface Part One: The referendum in Scotland1.The Unexpected Campaign, James Mitchell2. The Media Landscape in Scotland, Neil Blain and David Hutchison3. Broadcasting and the Press: Some Key Moments, David Hutchison4. The ‘Community of the Communicators’: The Political Commentariat and the Independence Ref-erendum, Gerry Hassan5.The Scottish Press Account: Narratives of the Independence Referendum and its Aftermath, Marina Dekavalla6. Scottish TV Coverage of the Referendum Campaign, John Robertson7. ‘Liked’, ‘Shared’, Re-Tweeted: The Referendum Campaign on Social Media, Margot Buchanan8. Sport, Gender and National Identities, John Harris and Fiona Skillen Part Two: Views from the UK9.English Television News Coverage of the Scottish Referendum, Andrew Tolson10. The English Press and the Referendum, Peter Golding and Karen Williamson11. Wales, Devolution and the Scottish Independence Debate, Sian Powell12. Our friends across the water: Northern Ireland media coverage of the Scottish Independence Referendum, Anthea Irwin Part Three: international perspectives13. ‘Knock on consequences’ - Irish media coverage of the Scottish referendum, Kevin Rafter14. Spain, Catalonia and the Scottish Referendum: A Study in Multiple Realities, Enric Castelló, Hugh O’Donnell and Fernando León-Solís15. The French View, Didier Revest16. The Scottish Referendum in Austrian, German, and Swiss Media, Klaus Peter Müller17. The Scottish Referendum: the view from Quebec, Catherine Côté18. The Scotland referendum in the English Language Canadian media, Christopher Waddell19. Australia and the Scottish independence referendum, Brian McNair Afterword: Reimagining Scotland in a new political landscape, Neil BlainNotes on Contributors

About the Author :
Neil Blain is Professor Emeritus of Communications at the University of Stirling. His publications include Media, Monarchy and Power (with Hugh O’Donnell), Sport, Media, Culture: Local and Global Dimensions and The Media in Scotland (co-edited with David Hutchison). David Hutchison has published in the fields of theatre, media policy and journalism. From 2010-2014 he was chair of Regional Screen Scotland. He is Honorary Professor of Media Policy at Glasgow Caledonian University. Dr. Gerry Hassan is Research Fellow in contemporary history at Dundee University. He has written and edited over two dozen books on Scottish and British politics including The Strange Death of Labour Scotland (with Eric Shaw, 2012), Caledonian Dreaming (2014), Independence of the Scottish Mind (2014), Scotland the Bold (2016), and SNP Leaders (edited with James Mitchell, 2016). His latest book is The People’s Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party (with Eric Shaw, 2019).

Review :
'Highly analytical, concept-driven and data-rich... [this collection] offers real insights into media systems and practices in Scotland, the UK and internationally that will be useful to academic audiences as well as practicing or aspiring journalists. It also provides some excellent discussion of the referendum itself.' --Peter Lynch "Scottish Affairs" 'This collection offers a considered, often insightful analysis of the role and perceptions of the media during and after the supercharged political atmosphere. The editors usefully bring together three different perspectives on the referendum: 1. Media within Scotland; 2. UK media; and 3. The view from a range of other Western nations. Such an international lens is particularly welcome given that all nations, Scotland included, seek affirmation of their own ideal self-image in a world of other nations... This volume is essential reading for all students of media and Scottish politics in turbulent times.' --Alex Law "Media Education Journal" 'This welcome assemblage of papers covers the Scottish referendum from three broad perspectives: first, from within Scotland; second, from the rest of the United Kingdom; and third, from the international arena...The organisation and structuring of the book in this way very much helps its overall coherence, while the individual chapters contribute a series of particular outlines of how the referendum campaign was covered and received and how such issues as nationalism, separatism and identity were represented. Neil Blain, David Hutchison and Gerry Hassan have put together an excellent collection.' -- "European Journal of Communication"