Archive for journalism
Have I gone mad?
I’m wondering if I’ve gone mad. There’s this issue that I just can’t think about without one question occurring to me. For me, it is blindingly obvious, absolutely basic and impossible to avoid if you want to talk about the issue. And the thing is, it doesn’t appear to have occurred to anyone else. I’ve [...]
Two of this week’s more interesting pieces of political analysis
Overall I’m not a huge fan of the vast reams of political analysis churned out in the British media, because far too often it tells you plenty about who the writer would vote for in an election today and not very much else. Discovering journalist X is very keen on party Y and really doesn’t like party [...]
The Day The Earth Caught Fire
As with many science fiction catastrophe movies, to call the underlying science in The Day The Earth Caught Fire dodgy is too kind for it is so fanciful it should not have the word science, however heavily qualified, associated with it. Thankfully, therefore, the cause of the catastrophe (two simultaneous nuclear tests altering the Earth’s [...]
Today’s news is: Let’s all be shocked by the blatantly obvious
Story one. Dear politician, do you think people should knowingly assist others in breaking the law? What, you say ‘no they shouldn’t'? Hold the front page, I’ve got a scoop! Story two. Dear politician, might you want to lead your party one day? What, you might!? Hold the front page again. This is an amazing [...]
Politicians are not mere pawns in the hands of journalists
Understandably the Leveson Inquiry has concentrated on the misdeeds of journalists and the behaviour of newspaper owners. However, the appearance of a series of figures this week at Leveson could – indeed should – have highlighted how often the power lies with politicians, not the media. We had three figures appear who all, in their [...]
Sometimes newspapers do themselves no favours when it comes to political bias
Two organisations are in the news today for their views on employment law reform: The Institute of Directors, who are critical of Vince Cable and support key parts of the Beecroft report The EEF manufacturers’ association, who are broadly supportive of Vince Cable and critical of key parts of the Beecroft report Try then to [...]
Leveson: it’s a good thing Nick Clegg was there
Today’s latest revelations from the Leveson Inquiry are a reminder of how wise it was to create a judge-led inquiry with wide terms of reference and powers. And who was it who did that when the Coalition Government was drawing up the plans, rejecting the talk of a lesser inquiry? Step forward, Nick Clegg. * [...]
A five point plan to reform the media post-Leveson
As investigative theatre goes, the Leveson Inquiry has been top-notch. As a route to embarrassing individuals for their past performance, it has excelled. As a way of unearthing previously secret information people, it has excelled. But as a route for reforming the media? Some things have already been achieved. The Press Complaints Commission has already [...]
The media’s problem when it comes to general elections
How should the national media report politics during a general election? That is an often debated question, ranging over topics such as whether or not to have leader debates, what the balance should be between political balance within every item versus balance over time, how much the media should focus on the issues politicians are [...]
David Sexton replies…
A response to my It’s not as if the presenter on a TV news program needs to do anything other than look pretty and be drooled over, is it? from the author of the said Evening Standard piece: I’m glad to have got your attention. I think it right to bring different criteria to assessing the performance of [...]
