Ian Bell; Time Out of Mind at EIBF 2014

I have read Ian Bell on the Scottish Independence questions in the only press for YES, The Sunday Herald, and he writes well on why Scottish Independence is the most sensible way forward.   

Bell gave an informed and entertaining chat on the most famous songwriter for more than a generation, of our times and also timeless, with fellow Scottish journalist Alan Taylor at Edinburgh International Book festival 2014. He said Dylan was enigmatic, elusive and perhaps unexplainable and hard to unravel. When the character that he created became successful was Dylan content with what he had created? Dylan's time as the folk singer of protest songs was only brief and he shied away from any leadership role. He was an artist, not a leader. He thought art tends to flee when politics arrive and that is propaganda and not art. 

Dylan always had a need to reinvent himself. Bell said he was a brilliant editor of verses. He was both defiant and fearless, and he doesn't care what others may be doing.  He was also terrifically ambitious. 

Bell said Dylan's 1974 Blood on The Tracks was an extraordinary return to an even higher artistic form.

He said although Dylan's Chronicles was embedded with many quotations he wasn't allowed to quote directly from his autobiography. Dylan wrote about how he steals. The fact is all artist steal it just depends how we do it and what we do with it and with the worldwide web its just all become a much hotter thing to deal with. 

He spoke of Dylan's Bootleg series and that some are terrible recordings but we need them to understand Dylan. He said that Dylan was royally ripped of by his first manager Albert Grossman. 

Bell thought today's generation has it too easy with access to millions of artists. Back then you followed the artists, curating material. In a sea of music, authenticity becomes important to a minority.

Dylan was influenced by poetry, American history, Joan Baez, Robert Burns and the Scottish border ballads. He took bits and pieces from My Hearts in The Highlands. He then stepped away from any political commentary in his songs such as the Vietnam war.

Ian offered some favourite song lines. We all have them, any of us long time Dylan listeners - although he said he didn't particularly like to have favourite ones.  

 'Ain't it just like the night when your tryin' to be so quiet/  Once upon a time you dressed so fine,

 'I'm not There' was a favourite song he said, about those connections between what you understand and why you understand it.

He said that Dylan had a 'Burned cathedral of a voice which worked, especially for Dylan the live performer.' We know Dylan through his songs.

He felt there was something to be gained by knowing Dylan's life, times and art - and how the three work together.

Bob Dylan Glasgow 2011

Scottish Press; Dialogue on Media - EIBF August 2014.

The dead wood press is now selling a quarter what it once did and that most of the Scottish press is now under foreign ownership. 

This event was hosted by journalist Ruth Wishart, and with fellow journalists Iain MacWhirter (Herald) Stephan Khan (Observer London) and Niki Seth-Smith (Common weel).

They spoke of the vigorous diversity of the Referendum debates in particular online websites such as National Collective, Kiltr, Bella Caledonia etc.  

Iain MacWhirter (Herald)

He said that professional Journalism allows for long form research.

He talked of Online Journalism. Citizen journalism provides more and cheap instant views, when journalism becomes often opinion journalism. Media used to be the privileged elite but now everyone has a voice.  There is a difference between sharing information though, instant opinions and researched facts.

The Decline of Scottish press stood at a drop of 100,000 sales per year, that it maybe had 5 years left. .

Most of the Scottish press was now foreign owned and The Scotsman had been taken over and had become the Daily Mail of Scotland. He said the dead tree press (professional journalism) are the cultural curators. The business model doesn't work on the internet though and the trouble is that real journalism cant' be done for nothing. 

He spoke of the one-sided media right now in Scotland which is hostile to independence.  What is happening here would be illegal in Scandinavia as the constitution is to have diversity of press. 

We have only had the one newspaper here - The Sunday Herald - supporting independence in Scotland.  He said that the BBC is still dependent for news on the dead tree press. 

Stephan Khan (Observer London) spoke of the plurality of press

He said the new consumer was more sophisticated. The problem with new media is there was often no raw copy and no research online. 

The question now is what happens after the Referendum. 

There was good online media and entrepreneurship but which do too often relies on press stories. 

He said, 'Comment is free, facts are sacred.'

He spoke of the need for objectivity and the blurring of the line between comment and fact.  Journalist will also make academic papers readable for the general public.  

Niki Seth-Smith (Common weel)  stated that online there were also often multiple drafts and editorial time too to provide decent facts with rigorous fact checking.   

MacWhirter suggested public funding for say a National Enquirer paper that was for factual news gathering rather than opinions or speculations and to help to ensure diversity of expression was properly informed.

The BBC is struggling with devolution or what it is really about.  Scotland has national politics and no national press. I notice now that many of the respected in this debate are not going on the BBC news programs - understandably. 

They thought that the best bet for small democracies was an open democracy that also pays contributors. 

Twitter feeds are difficult at reflecting on news with no longer articles and they felt that Print still has a future. 
 

What Happened #indyref

#indyref  When it comes down to it we were not able to convince people they would be better off, both financially and economically, in an independent Scotland. We were told we are one of the wealthiest nations and many must have thought - well we are doing OK then aren't we the way we are. Even as all our oil money has been lost and we have expensive and unnecessary nuclear weapons.

The little old ladies and their pensions and sitting on their properties, decided months even years before to vote NO. They were also fearful - and during the campaign told they would loose the pound in their pockets (their pensions), while others were told they woud loose thier jobs. If you take the over 60s (who are doing fine thanks and probably think at the age of 85 why change anything and not think of the future for their grandchildren or children) out of the vote altogether, there would have been landslide for YES!! All the other age groups (apart from 18-22 at 48%) overwhelmingly voted for YES! 

  

The debate has been about decentralizing power.... as the debate unfolded it has more and more become about true democracy. Perhaps now a Scottish Yes Party or Scottish Democratic Party for me. It needs to be something forward looking for all the young people who want a voice to build this democracy. 

Questions. How are we governed? Can they debate all this in a couple of months? Devolution for England. And Party self interest...and the West Lothian questions..Set up a separate chamber etc. etc.

The Better Together sent out easy sound bites - safety, security, risks, etc. Perhaps the YES message was too complicated and most don't have the time or can't be bothered researching for themselves.

**The Way Forward

-My hope is through social media. Whatever government gets elected they will continue to ignore the voice of the people at their peril. 

-This vote is NOT about powers or the constitutions - it was about equal opportunities. Under Labour the divides between rich and poor have widened and I don't trust them.

- We require a Scottish Broadcasting channel. 

- Rebrand the SNP as the Scottish Democratic Party?

- Should there be a debate on why we need nuclear weapons?

- Do we live in a free democracy when we don't have a free press? 

Perhaps the north of England might join our campaign too - and show this is NOT about boundaries and borders - in fact its about breaking down these unwanted divisions.      

A country not in charge of it resources is not a happy place.  I heard the House of Lords (reformed?) took over control of Scotland's energy policies recently (nothing in the press?) and is now deciding where fracking will happen. Loch Lomond first? 

If this is all about economics and defence - and I look at say Denmark, Finland, Holland, Norway - most others small countries which can respond faster to economic shiftsand often with less resources than Scotland, are doing extremely well thank you. Ironically the day after the vote Prince William visited Malta, which became independent in 1964 with a population of half a million. 

Independence Day!

Will we have fireworks! There is an expectant stillness in the air today as the Big Vote is on us....It has been  a very long road for some of us dreaming of a better way for Scotland and believing in it with heart and soul.... head too! Over the decades I have felt my vote and voice made no difference at all. For the first time in my life my vote can count and make a difference.

i don't want borders or boundaries or any of these other tired clichés I have heard of. I am voting YES for a new start for democracy where all the voices can be heard  - and not only a small elite who ignore the people. 

I have always thought first past the post system of voting was a ridiculous old fashioned system, the adversarial confrontations of right or wrong of the Westminster politics and their  short sighted policies....

I want to see a greener, more forward looking, more open-minded, inclusive policies. I hope the people of Scotland will seize this one chance to run their own affairs.

The people of Scotland never voted for the Union in 1707 - only a tiny number of rich nobles did (who were bribed with gold). The rich bankers are still wanting to bribe us with false promises - DON'T believe a word they say!

Its been very hard in the media with all the bias - ONLY one Scottish paper for independence and all the BBC bias, both obvious and more subtle. . 

 

There are many stories to be written and re-written now. But I hope we are on a journey to where we want to be as a country. I hope no matter what the vote Thursday, that we have all learned a great deal about ourselves and can move forward with more hope and faith in our shared future.

This debate has brought out a sense of community and shared dreams across our country. A strong sense of identity matters a great deal for a successful future.  The eyes of the world are now on us - lets not disappoint them by acting in fear....  but rather with confidence and hope in ourselves, our heritage and our beautiful country...