All entries for Tuesday 12 June 2007

Blair: Media is 'a feral beast'

The media is threatening politicians’ “capacity to take the right decisions for the country”. Modern media means that reports are “driven by impact”. The relationship between the media and politics has been “damaged”.

Blair’s back in cuckoo land. His first statement assumes that politicians always know what the right decisions are. The second one is a joke when you consider how the Alastair Campbells of this world have timed announcements for maximum impact. And finally, politicians are equally to blame for the damaged relationship.

Contrary to popular belief, there wasn’t a snap change overnight in May 1997. The Thatcher era expanded the divide between reporters and the reported. But 24-hour news did make a difference. It led to constant analysis of decisions, so that the cooling-down period offered by the newspapers’ life-cycle was destroyed. The new diversity of media sources also made a difference. There is now an outlet for every viewpoint, however extreme or forthright.

But the preferential treatment and spinning dealt out by New Labour put unbearable pressure on the always difficult relationship between journalists and politicians.

It’s right that journalism should ask challenging questions of the powerful. In its perfect form, journalism is the voice of the people, although in practice it only sometimes achieves that aim. But Tony Blair and co took these challenges as a personal slight.

It is the way in which modern politicians react to the modern media which has damaged the relationship between the two.

Christopher Doidge : 12 Jun 2007 12:34 |  Tags: Journalism Media Politics Spin Tony Blair |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Let's Get Sleazy

This book is coming out in a couple of weeks. It should be quite good. I wrote some of it.

Christopher Doidge : 12 Jun 2007 12:05 |  Tags: Blogging Book Labour Party Sleaze |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem