{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/climate/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","slug":"environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","url":"https://mediabias.news/climate/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","title":"Environmental protest at John Swinney’s residence over new gas plant","subtitle":"Campaigners staged a Halloween‑themed demonstration outside the Scottish First Minister’s Edinburgh home to oppose the approval of a new gas‑fired power station at Peterhead.","excerpt":"Environmental activists dressed in Halloween masks gathered at Bute House in Edinburgh on Saturday, protesting the Scottish Government’s decision to allow a new 900 MW gas‑fired power station at Peterhead. Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Kate Whitaker called the approval a catastrophic failure, while a government spokesperson reiterated the net‑zero 2045 commitment.","category":"Climate","area":"United Kingdom","publishedAt":"2026-11-01T09:05:15.927Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-10-31T13:54:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-11-01T09:05:15.927Z","readTime":"2 min read","scores":{"trust":68,"critic":87,"hype":30,"notes":{"trust":"Trust 68: includes named source Kate Whitaker and two independent full reports, but lacks cited documents.","critic":"Critic 87: explains relevance, quotes campaigner and government, separates facts, provides specific names and dates.","hype":"Hype 30: mild emphasis on Halloween theme, no exaggerated claims beyond reported protest."}},"tags":["#ClimateProtest","#Scotland","#FossilFuels","#JohnSwinney","#Halloween","#NetZero"],"entities":["John Swinney","Kate Whitaker","Scottish Government","Friends of the Earth Scotland","Bute House"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Campaigners in Halloween costume protested outside Bute House, the First Minister’s Edinburgh residence.","The protest targeted the Scottish Government’s approval of a new gas‑fired power station at Peterhead.","Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Kate Whitaker described the decision as a “catastrophic failure”.","A Scottish Government spokesperson reaffirmed the net‑zero by 2045 target and declined further comment."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"On Saturday, environmental activists assembled outside Bute House, the official home of Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney. Participants wore Halloween masks and held placards that linked fossil fuels to “ghouls” and warned that the decision would “haunt” the public. The demonstration was organised to oppose the Scottish Government’s consent for a new gas‑fired power station to be built at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of movement building, Kate Whitaker, told reporters that the approval represented a “catastrophic failure” by the government, arguing that expanding fossil‑fuel infrastructure increases the risk of extreme weather and raises household energy costs. She added that the First Minister would receive “no treats” this year."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"A spokesperson for the Scottish Government responded that the administration remains “unwavering in its commitment to tackle climate change” and is working toward net‑zero emissions by 2045. The spokesperson said the decision was based on a detailed assessment of community, environmental and cultural impacts and declined to comment further."},{"type":"pullquote","text":"Fossil fuels are scary because of the harm they are already causing to millions of people.","author":"Kate Whitaker, Friends of the Earth Scotland"},{"type":"heading","text":"Right‑rated outlets did not cover the story"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the right‑rated digests or reports listed in the source material mention the Halloween‑themed protest, the “catastrophic failure” description, or the Scottish Government’s net‑zero commitment."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Stv","url":"https://news.stv.tv/east-central/environmentalists-stage-halloween-demonstration-over-scary-fossil-fuels","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:54:03.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Scotsman","url":"https://scotsman.com/regions/edinburgh-fife-and-lothians/edinburgh-protest-environmentalists-stage-halloween-demonstration-over-scary-fossil-fuels-9322055","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration in Edinburgh over fossil fuels","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:47:02.000Z"},{"sourceName":"BBC News","url":"https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9rkypk1g7k0o","headline":"Bute House protested by environmental campaigners","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:41:07.561Z"},{"sourceName":"The Herald Scotland","url":"https://heraldscotland.com/news/26687154.halloween-protest-targets-scottish-government-fossil-fuels","headline":"Environmentalists stage Bute House demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:23:33.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Evening Standard","url":"https://standard.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-government-edinburgh-fossil-fuels-politicians-uk-government-b1303063.html","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:06:50.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/john-swinney-scottish-government-edinburgh-protesters-uk-government-b3076814.html","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:06:50.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The NEN - North Edinburgh News","url":"https://nen.press/fossil-fuels-are-scary-protest-outside-bute-house","headline":"“Fossil Fuels are Scary” protest outside Bute House","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The National","url":"https://thenational.scot/news/26687095.climate-activists-stage-halloween-protest-bute-house","headline":"Climate campaigners warn 'no treats for John Swinney' in Halloween-themed protest","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T12:44:32.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":67,"centre":33,"right":0},"count":{"left":4,"centre":2,"right":0},"totalSources":8,"untracked":2,"rated":6,"observedAt":"2026-10-31T23:21:38.954Z"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-11-01T12:30:14.171Z","closedAt":null,"checks":14,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["The Herald Scotland led on the description of the protest as a “catastrophic failure” and reproduced Kate Whitaker’s full remarks, including the line that John Swinney was “not getting any treats this year”. The outlet also highlighted the Halloween theme, the “fossil fuel ghouls” placards and the government’s net‑zero by 2045 pledge. Digest reports from The Scotsman, The Independent (US) and The National echoed these points, noting the “no treats” comment and the protest’s focus on the Peterhead gas plant, but did not provide direct quotations."],"centre":["The Evening Standard’s full article foregrounded the Halloween‑themed protest and reproduced the same Kate Whitaker quotation used by left‑rated outlets, stressing the “catastrophic failure” label. It also reproduced the Scottish Government spokesperson’s statement about the net‑zero 2045 target. The BBC News digest similarly reported the protest’s location, theme and purpose, and noted the government’s commitment to climate action, without adding original commentary."],"right":[],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"mixed":1,"high":2,"unknown":2,"veryHigh":3},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":3,"billionaire":3,"government":1,"independent":2,"corporation":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"The National","url":"https://thenational.scot/news/26687095.climate-activists-stage-halloween-protest-bute-house","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T12:44:32.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","count":3},{"country":"Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom","count":2},{"country":"Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom","count":1},{"country":"Scotland, United Kingdom","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"The National","url":"https://thenational.scot/news/26687095.climate-activists-stage-halloween-protest-bute-house","headline":"Climate campaigners warn 'no treats for John Swinney' in Halloween-themed protest","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T12:44:32.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The NEN","url":"https://nen.press/fossil-fuels-are-scary-protest-outside-bute-house","headline":"“Fossil Fuels are Scary” protest outside Bute House","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Evening Standard","url":"https://standard.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-government-edinburgh-fossil-fuels-politicians-uk-government-b1303063.html","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:06:50.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/john-swinney-scottish-government-edinburgh-protesters-uk-government-b3076814.html","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:06:50.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":"Evening Standard"},{"name":"The Herald Scotland","url":"https://heraldscotland.com/news/26687154.halloween-protest-targets-scottish-government-fossil-fuels","headline":"Environmentalists stage Bute House demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:23:33.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"BBC News","url":"https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9rkypk1g7k0o","headline":"Bute House protested by environmental campaigners","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:41:07.561Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Scotsman","url":"https://scotsman.com/regions/edinburgh-fife-and-lothians/edinburgh-protest-environmentalists-stage-halloween-demonstration-over-scary-fossil-fuels-9322055","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration in Edinburgh over fossil fuels","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:47:02.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Stv","url":"https://news.stv.tv/east-central/environmentalists-stage-halloween-demonstration-over-scary-fossil-fuels","headline":"Environmentalists stage Halloween demonstration over ‘scary’ fossil fuels","publishedAt":"2026-10-31T13:54:03.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Scotland, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":"Evening Standard"}]},"assessment":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. 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They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"Environmental protest at John Swinney’s residence over new gas plant\", https://mediabias.news/climate/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/climate/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/climate/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/climate/environmental-protest-at-john-swinneys-residence-over-new-gas-plant.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}