The establishment of the devolved parliament in 1999 represented one of the most significant constitutional changes in more than a hundred years, offering a brand new mechanism for democratic politics. But what the referendum of 2014 illuminated was how little had changed in what should be a key part of any democracy: its communication system.

What’s more, it showed Scotland’s continued struggle with its “dual public sphere”, an uncomfortable hybrid of UK-rooted media institutions and both established and emerging Scottish news titles with very different perspectives and priorities.

It was noted in our consultation that the Scottish government has acquired a reputation for intense media management and a distrust of journalists. resistance to freedom of information (FOI) requests has created obstacles to investigative journalism which aims to expose abuses of power and corruption.

Some felt an insider class in Scotland’s media has emerged: a group of politicians, commentators, corporate actors and public bodies which is returned to again and again for comment, but which operates to limit dissent.

This reflects the broader problem of a lack of diversity of views which extends beyond political commentary to prioritising the agendas of Scotland’s two biggest cities and under-representing minority groups.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters

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