Spinning a yarn?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Link: Illegal immigration 'fleet' has only one van - Telegraph.
We will not restore faith in British politics until the press stops allowing politicians, like Humpty-Dumpty in Alice in Wonderland, to have words mean whatever they want them to mean. "Spin" is legitimate political art. It involves presenting facts in a good light for the politician in question. As such it is a form of advocacy and is not the same as lying. To say you are deploying "a fleet of vans" when you have only one is not spin. It is a lie. The Minister who told it should now resign in disgrace.
Only when journalists hold politicians to rudimentary ethical standards, can we hope to restore public trust. I am almost as angry with the Daily Telegraph's sub-editors for allowing "spin" to be used as a synonym for "lies" as I am with Liam Byrne for lying.
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