The new scottish parliament project: a content analysis of two broadsheet newspapers

The new Scottish Parliament project in Edinburgh is intended to be a unique symbol of devolution and national distinctiveness. However, the project suffered significant setbacks due to cost escalations and programme delays. Since the projects inception in 1997, the design, construction and management of the project have undergone intense scrutiny from media journalists. In particular, two ‘broadsheet’ newspapers, The Scotsman and The Herald have documented the legacy surrounding this unique project. A content analysis of sample headlines from both newspapers suggests that The Scotsman has predominantly employed emotive metaphors in reporting and that this tone tends to emphasise the problems encountered by the project team. The Herald has taken a less judgemental approach with the majority of its reports being less bias in nature. Only a handful of reports could be considered positive in promoting the project and this may have ramifications for the image of the construction industry.