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Cameron's master class in spin
Nicholas Jones
Leveson Inquiry: David Cameron's shows the world how to gloss over the Conservatives' struggle to win over the Murdoch press
DATELINE: 14/6/12
David Cameron's spin was straight from the pages of the New Labour text book on media manipulation: the Sun switched its support to the Conservatives ahead of the 2010 general election because its readers had already started abandoning Gordon Brown - precisely the same argument advanced by Tony Blair who claimed that the Sun switched to Labour ahead of the 1997 general election because its readers were already deserting John Major.
Like Blair before him, Cameron was giving a spin doctor's gloss on the "chicken and the egg": their spin was that Rupert Murdoch had no alternative but to respond to what the Sun's readers were telling the editor and the switch would have taken place anyway, without the help of Andy Coulson - or in Blair's case, without the efforts of Peter Mandelson and Alastair Campbell.
In Cameron's case it wasn't only readers but also the reporters who forced the pace on Murdoch: "You could see what was happening under my leadership of the Conservative party. Sun readers were coming over to the Conservative Party and Sun journalists told me they thought their newspaper was out of tune with its readers."
Although Cameron agreed in response to Robert Jay QC, counsel for the inquiry (14.6.2012), that Andy Coulson had given advice on how to win over the Sun the Prime Minister insisted that was not the reason why he was appointed the Conservative Party's director of communications in May 2007.
Regrettably Jay did not pursue the point and Cameron was not pressed on Coulson's role in the three years leading up to the 2010 general election and his success in reconnecting the Conservatives to the news agenda of the Sun and the News of the World.
In his evidence Cameron singled out the News of the World's campaign for Sarah's law - the campaign which Coulson saw to fruition during his editorship and which forced the government to change the law to allow parents access to information on paedophiles.
Coulson's success from 2007 in undermining support for Prime Minister Gordon Brown - by promoting Cameron through Sun-style campaigns - made him indispensable and helped explain why the Prime Minister had no hesitation in taking a former News of the World editor with him into Downing Street.
Under Coulson's guidance Cameron could not have done more to endorse Sun campaigns such as support for "Our Boys", the sacking of Sharon Shoesmith over Baby P and the attacks on the "bloated BBC" and the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
This was the day-to-day currency of a developing relationship which culminated in the Sun abandoning Brown during the Labour Party's 2009 party conference.
Jay asked Cameron directly if he had tried to develop a strategy as to see how the Sun might be won over. "No I think we developed a strategy about how to explain the policies we believed in and how to spread them as far as we can. You talk about policies which appeal to Sun readers such as a freeze in council tax."
But Cameron accepted that Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks had a strong personal relationship with Gordon Brown and it had not been easy. "We did have our work cut out to win over the Sun. What we had on our side was that Sun readers were coming to us...leaving Labour and coming to us...and my aim was to get the Sun back into the fold of Conservative Party supporting newspapers."I assumed Rupert Murdoch would have a big say... and I sensed if we could say Sun readers were moving in our direction we would have a good chance.
"I think there was a growing picture of disenchantment with the Brown government and the Conservatives getting their act together... it was a long process.
"Trevor Kavanagh (the Sun's political commentator) was someone who thought Labour was getting it wrong and he thought the Conservative Party was getting its act together and he was an ally in helping to get the Sun on side."
Although Cameron was not questioned on the mechanics of what went on behind the scenes, he did acknowledged the importance which he gave to winning the support of Britain's largest selling newspaper - and the paper with the biggest number of floating voters. And when it came to cause and effect, Coulson did have a pivotal role.
Last modified: Thursday, June 14, 2012
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Previous Leveson Inquiry stories
Osborne talent spots Coulson but denies there was a strategy to win the Sun's support
Leveson Round Up: Has He Thrown in the Towel?
Standing up for citizens' complaints
Operation Motorman - don't let it get away
Leveson Inquiry: Tories 'did not want to regulate press'
Alastair Campbell at Leveson: great theatre Mr Jay, shame about the questions
Brooks at Leveson: an insight into how the Sun exploited the political endorsement of the Murdoch press
Coulson at Leveson: a former spin doctor's master class in closing down unhelpful questions
It's not just about Murdoch - the whole system needs fixing
New Podcast: post Murdoch where is Leveson Inquiry going?
After Leveson… What future for the media?
NUJ responds to Murdoch's evidence at the Leveson Inquiry
Leveson Inquiry: Rupert Murdoch off the hook over alleged illegal payments to public officials
Leveson Inquiry shock news: Rupert Murdoch says his political influence was just 'a myth'
Now we come to the dark heart of this strange affair
Leveson Inquiry: Rupert Murdoch and son to appear
Money talks: no wonder so many rival journalists were beaten by the Sun's exclusive stories
If the Sun hates attacks on press freedom, how must it despise itself!
Jeremy Hunt calls for regulation of press content free of political interference...but no promise that politicians will refrain from meddling in media ownership
Iraq War: "Implacable support" of Murdoch press a key factor for Blair
Women's groups - Leveson must back ban on sexualized images in media
Ofcom and BSkyB bid: We should have looked at News Corporation's political influence
Leveson Inquiry: PCC chief says appetite for fresh start
Chilling effect on BBC journalism of licence freeze: a warning to Leveson Inquiry
Co-ordinating Committee for Media Reform call for change
BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten rebukes David Cameron
Opinion: "Leveson: reasons to be wary of press promises"
Cameron's links with the Murdoch press: only superficial probing at Leveson
Press Freedom: a democratic rubric
Leveson Inquiry edges closer to Cameron
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Leveson Inquiry
Osborne talent spots Coulson but denies there was a strategy to win the Sun's support
Leveson Round Up: Has He Thrown in the Towel?
Standing up for citizens' complaints
Operation Motorman - don't let it get away
Leveson Inquiry: Tories 'did not want to regulate press'
Alastair Campbell at Leveson: great theatre Mr Jay, shame about the questions
Brooks at Leveson: an insight into how the Sun exploited the political endorsement of the Murdoch press
Coulson at Leveson: a former spin doctor's master class in closing down unhelpful questions
It's not just about Murdoch - the whole system needs fixing
New Podcast: post Murdoch where is Leveson Inquiry going?
After Leveson… What future for the media?
NUJ responds to Murdoch's evidence at the Leveson Inquiry
Leveson Inquiry: Rupert Murdoch off the hook over alleged illegal payments to public officials
Leveson Inquiry shock news: Rupert Murdoch says his political influence was just 'a myth'
Now we come to the dark heart of this strange affair
Leveson Inquiry: Rupert Murdoch and son to appear
Money talks: no wonder so many rival journalists were beaten by the Sun's exclusive stories
If the Sun hates attacks on press freedom, how must it despise itself!
Jeremy Hunt calls for regulation of press content free of political interference...but no promise that politicians will refrain from meddling in media ownership
Iraq War: "Implacable support" of Murdoch press a key factor for Blair
Women's groups - Leveson must back ban on sexualized images in media
Ofcom and BSkyB bid: We should have looked at News Corporation's political influence
Leveson Inquiry: PCC chief says appetite for fresh start
Chilling effect on BBC journalism of licence freeze: a warning to Leveson Inquiry
Co-ordinating Committee for Media Reform call for change
BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten rebukes David Cameron
Opinion: "Leveson: reasons to be wary of press promises"
Cameron's links with the Murdoch press: only superficial probing at Leveson
Press Freedom: a democratic rubric
Leveson Inquiry edges closer to Cameron
