ONCE again we see top-class reporting from Kirsteen Paterson (Women’s Aid groups defunded), Greg Russell (Removal of immunity would be ‘cowardly’) and Laura Webster (Reform UK hopeful under fire for Twitter interactions) in Thursday’s National. Indeed having reporters of the quality of Ms Paterson and Ms Webster must be a massive plus for the newspaper, and I always look for their articles and reports.
I’ve taken the National from the first edition and constantly tell my friends and anyone else who will listen to at least try the paper, citing the political/social reporting of Ms Webster and Ms Paterson as leading female Scottish reporters.
READ MORE: Reform UK urged to sack candidate who 'liked' 'shocking' posts about the SNP
However, on the front page of that same edition a phrase was used containing the term Nazi in relation to a Reform candidate and the FM, referencing Ms Webster’s story on page four. Unfortunately to those passing newsstands as they go into petrol stations or shops, the words Nazi and FM appear together and to the casual passerby catch the eye. It’s not the first time Nazi has appeared on your front page close to a reference to the SNP, such as one not so long ago along the lines of (if memory serves me correctly) … “Nazi SNP banner”.
May I humbly suggest that pairing Nazi with anything to do with the independence movement on your front page can have the opposite effect from that which you seek to achieve. When people glance, as they do, at headlines they should not leave with the impression of any pro-independence organisation being linked by terminology with such a terrible ideology.
Lynn Wood
via email
I THINK The First Minister was wrong to give an answer to the right-wing press about the current inquiries into the possible misconduct of various government departments. They got the headline they were seeking to misquote. Unfortunately any response other than “wait and see what the investigations conclude” promotes the Hamlet syndrome: “the lady protesteth too much, methinks”.
Mike Underwood
Linlithgow
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