Comments on: Drooling loons

By: frank

frank — Fri, 11 Feb 2005 08:28:00 +0000

I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Dave H. Cynical media junkies may get their voting cues from gossip columns, but most readers still take leader columns seriously – otherwise papers wouldn’t print them.

By: dave heasman

dave heasman — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 07:09:00 +0000

Oh and the day Times leader writers influenced elections is long gone. The threat, if any exists at all, is from gossip-writers raking muck.

By: Backword Dave

Backword Dave — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 17:37:00 +0000

I think Dave’s point is good: I was thinking something similar myself. I think my cat will win the Fields medal before the Tories win a general election, so I wouldn’t be altogether blown away if a polling guy had told Howard he was going to lose. On the other hand, I strongly suspect that the source was Alistair Campbell: and journalists should know better than to use hostile sources without confirmation. If the law suit makes the campaign cleaner (by making all papers pause before printing dirt), it’ll be a good thing.
On Frank’s point about Times leader writers, isn’t Michale Gove something senior on the Times besides being a columnist? And he’s a Tory candidate.

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 14:30:00 +0000

Good point dave. I especially like the kitchen.

Let me put it this way: at the moment Times journos are quite keen to discuss the topic of libel (in general and with specific references) in private conversation. This issue is on their agenda big time, probably because they've had a serious talking-to from above: irrespective of whether or not the Times was justified or not to publish what it did, the suit has reminded them that they need to be cautious about what they write. It has also reminded them, though, that the Tories are quite a nasty bunch (which isn't saying Labour aren't) and will NOT endear the Conservatives to the Times' leader writers. Make of that what you will.

The Tories have fired the opening shot in the politicians vs media war for this election campaign. I can't imagine the media won't shoot back. This isn't America. We do not have the same compliant press found over there. Expect bloodshed.

By: dave heasman

dave heasman — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 10:33:00 +0000

I’m not sure that it is that stupid. If it doesn’t get to court before May the Times could well be forced to lay off the damaging personal gossip for fear of contempt. And if they didn’t lay off, the Tories could do a Foot and join Murdoch to the suit, on the basis that the paper wouldn’t dare contempt without Murdoch’s specific say-so. And Murdoch would then fold. And Howard could get a new kitchen out of it, like Foot did.

By: frank

frank — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 06:48:00 +0000

I’m curious what the relationship between those two expat Australians, Lynton Crosbie and Rupert Murdoch, is like these days…