UK NEWS

BLAIR ADMITS SPINNING...BUT HE BLAMES THE PRESS

Tony Blair

Wednesday June 13,2007

By Macer Hall

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(3)

TONY Blair confessed to his own “complicity” in the rise of Labour’s spin culture yesterday while launching an outspoken attack on the media.

A fortnight before his departure from Downing Street, the outgoing Prime Minister accused newspapers and broadcasters of behaving “like feral beasts, just tearing people and reputations to bits”.

And he claimed sensational reporting damaged the country by “sapping confidence and self-belief”.

Last night, his remarks provoked accusations that he was blaming the Press for the collapse of public trust in the political establishment.

Yet Mr Blair insisted his complaint was not a “whinge” but rather his considered view of the state of the relationship between politicians and the media.

And he conceded that he had benefited from “benign” media coverage in the early years of New Labour.

Speaking to an invited audience at the London headquarters of the Reuters news agency, Mr Blair said the media had become driven by the search for “impact” rather than accurate reporting.

And the pressure had intensified over his years in office with the rise of 24-hour rolling television news channels and the internet.

“It is this necessary devotion to impact that is unravelling standards, driving them down, making the diversity of the media not the strength it should be but an impulsion towards sensation above all else,” Mr Blair said.

Admitting that Labour had tried too hard to control the media, Mr Blair said: “I first acknowledge my own complicity. We paid inordinate attention in the early days of New Labour to courting, assuaging, and persuading the media.”

He said the strategy – masterminded by his communication chief Alastair Campbell – was driven by the “ferocious hostility” of much of the press to the party during 18 years in opposition. He accepted the party’s “spin” tactics “rank the risk of fuelling trends” towards sensationalism. But Mr Blair warned that the distinction between facts and opinions was becoming blurred.

He called for a debate throughout the media about falling standards, and warned that a new “regulatory framework” was needed to deal with the growth of the internet and explosion of television channels.

He said: “The fear of missing out means today’s media, more than ever before, hunts in a pack. In these modes it is like a feral beast, just tearing people and reputations to bits. But no one dares miss out.”

His speech drew criticism from political opponents. Lib Dem culture and media spokesman Don Foster said: “It’s easy to blame the Press for a loss of trust in politicians. A fairer analysis would point to his own culture of spin.”

Mr Blair is to visit the Vatican on June 23, just days before he steps down, it was confirmed yesterday. The visit is likely to add to speculation that Mr Blair – an Anglican – will convert to Roman Catholicism after he leaves No10.

ZZUB ZZUB

13.06.07, 9:35pm

Sorry, who's this. We used to have a Prime Minister by that name, but he got so busy telling us how important he was & setting himself us as President of cloud cookoo land that he disappeared and a carboard cut out was left in its place.

If we can ever find a politician capable of telling the truth again I might vote for him, but this mob in charge at the moment need to get out of the way first. They all have gold plated pensions now at our expense whilst the best most of us can look forward to is means tested income support.

Good Riddance

• Posted by: DeneB • Report Comment

BLAIR ADMITS SPINNING.........

13.06.07, 4:55pm

Oh dear Tony, you don't know who to blame for your unpopularity do you? You could try blaming the person responsible of course.......yourself.

• Posted by: judy • Report Comment

SPIN THE SPIN!

13.06.07, 11:48am

So, what we are seeing here is a bit of spin on the admission to spinning – neat!

On the one hand you are happy about, and had benefited from, “benign” media coverage in the early years but more recently, when the tables are turned, it is a very different matter for you.

I will assume that you have at least half a brain and that you are able to use it….

So, tell me why you did not know and realise that being in the public spotlight, having the media and public hanging on your every word and action may result in a bit of (?) bad media coverage? Why you decided to put a ‘spin’ on damned near everything that was going to be unpopular to try and justify bad decisions/policies made by you and your government?

And here you are now, trying to put further spin on your own (and your governments) shortcomings……. Worst of all you do so by trying to pass the blame for these shortcomings onto the media.

Some things will never change!

• Posted by: Cynical_sid • Report Comment