John Kampfner tells Leveson that with the Lobby…
“…the interdependency is most invidious and obvious. Some lobby correspondents have become stenographers to power. When a minister or spokesman telephones, they take it down and reproduce. The more faithful the end product is to the caller’s intent, the more likely the journalist will receive a story in the future. All sides get what they want. The label “exclusive” is fair, technically, in that nobody else has the story, but these are not scoops in the sense that the term was originally intended. This is not intrepid reporting or digging, but services rendered in return for access.”
If Dave Were President He’d Have Resigned By Now | Alex Wickham
Loongate: What Happened in the Blue Boar Bar | Simon Walters
Lib Dems Should Support EU Referendum | LibDemVoice
Feldman’s Denial | Fraser Nelson
Obama’s Presidency is Imploding | Nile Gardiner
Miliband Could Be a Great PM | Thomas Pascoe
What Are You Really Paying in Income Tax? | TPA
Galloway’s Mad Month | The Commentator
Murdoch: Facebook is the New MySpace | Telegraph
Clegg’s Manifesto Referendum Pledge Spin Unravels | ConHome
Coalition Here to Stay | Ben Brogan
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Tom Harris bemoans the public’s attitude to politicians…
“Mr Oborne echoes the lazy, anti-politics whine we hear so often these days, all based on the absurd notion that politicians were once loved and only fell out of public favour during the expenses scandal. He should take a walk to the Strangers’ Bar. But not to sup with the patrons he seems to despise so much, dearie me, no; he should instead look at the paintings on the corridor outside the bar, which depict the devastating fire which consumed most of the Palace in 1834. And he should reflect on the fact that on that dramatic night, as the Commons went up in flames, a crowd gathered on the South Bank to clap and cheer.”
Focus group time. says:
The thing that Dave needs to work out is which group is more likely to vote Conservative. Mad swivel-eyed loons or mad homosexuals wishing to get married.
And we know exactly who he means.
so its a crock of shit then (lobby system).
This post is of interest only to those that exist within the bubble.
This post is of interest to anyone who cares about the manufacturing of ‘news’ and the descent of our media from gutter to sewer.
Very true Anon. And Peter Oborne makes the same point as Kampfner in his book ‘The Rise of Political Lying’. A very good, if somewhat alarming read in my view. The lobby system works against the national interest and should be banned. Problem is – the media and our sick political class both ‘benefit’ from this cosy arrangement, because it provides a mutual back-scratching service, so it isn’t going to happen, is it?
Alternatively, ‘journalists’ can just copy and paste Twitter, like they do at the Telegraph.
‘they take it down and reproduce. The more faithful the end product is to the caller’s intent, the more likely the journalist will receive a story in the future.’
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And you get catapulted to Political Editor during the duration of the regime most faithfully ‘reported’ upon, before you can say ‘uniquely funded’.
You can bet your life none of this kind of journalism would have anything to fear from ” regulation”.