How Broadcasters Should Grip The Prime Number Government Minister Lying

This post is nearly the Brexit Dividend together with how broadcasters should process it. However I desire to start amongst an extreme case: Donald Trump. He is the correct house to start because he became POTUS inwards skillful role because of how the media treated him together with his opponent. He gained publicity yesteryear maxim outrageous things. That increased his poll rating, so he started getting favourable coverage because his poll ratings were going up. (I explicate how this industrial plant inwards to a greater extent than item here.) Once he was the republican candidate, the media’s obsession amongst ease meant they spent every bit much fourth dimension talking nearly the niggling effect of Clinton’s emails every bit Trump’s lies, whether he pays whatever taxes, bribes officials together with assaults women.

One of the most remarkable polls during that motility was that to a greater extent than people trusted Trump than Hillary Clinton. How tin individual who lies all the time, almost every fourth dimension he says anything, live trusted to a greater extent than than Hillary Clinton, who has had countless Republican inspired investigations into her affairs together with has never been convicted of anything. For about fourth dimension cognitive linguist together with philosopher George Lakoff has pioneered the thought that (among many other things - come across for illustration a Guardian article amongst Gil Duran) lies that are repeated oftentimes plenty overstep associations inwards people’s minds that they discovery it hard to combat. So the phrase ‘crooked Hillary’ that Trump repeats all the fourth dimension has a utilisation beyond firing upwards the base. Equally when Republican’s start investigations into her affairs that lone puts an association of guilt inwards people’s minds. That is a telephone commutation ground why earlier the election they trusted Trump to a greater extent than than Clinton.

In the U.S.A. of America Trump played the media large time, together with continues to produce so. If the media is non careful the same thing could plow over off here. The phrase ‘Brexit dividend’ is the equivalent of ‘crooked Hillary’. If it is repeated enough, a sufficient set out of people volition get down to associate Brexit amongst a ‘dividend’, whether that dividend is existent or not. And inwards instance individual reading this does non know yesteryear now, the Brexit dividend is a consummate fiction.

To come across how May’s claim that at that topographic point is a Brexit dividend should live handled, read this inwards the FT together with this from Sky News. (HT Femi) The FT article does non receive got ‘Brexit dividend’ inwards its title, together with this is important. As Lakoff argues, the to a greater extent than oftentimes people come across those 2 words together the to a greater extent than probable they are to associate them, so produce non set it inwards a headline every bit many people but read headlines. (Putting it inwards inverted commas does nothing.) He suggests what he calls the ‘truth sandwich’ approach: get down amongst a true statement, so study the dishonest spin, together with so fact depository fiscal establishment gibe the spin. Leaving out that showtime phase plays into the hands of whoever promoted the spin.

Who are the heroes together with villains inwards this illustration of barefaced lying (see my Definition of barefaced below). For villains nosotros receive got to start amongst Theresa May herself: if this is a sop to the Brexiters inwards commutation for a soft Brexit that is no mitigation. Boris Johnson of course of study for suggesting the idea: the courtroom mightiness similar to convey a large number of previous offences into account. The correct fly Brexit press for whom lying is but role of their game.

Heroes include Paul Johnson, who toured the broadcasters on Dominicus to emphatically say at that topographic point was no dividend, together with Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston for saying it was consummate nonsense, every bit good every bit the 2 references already given inwards the FT together with from Sky News. I promise at that topographic point were other examples that I did non plow over off to notice.

What nearly the BBC? It did receive got Paul Johnson on, together with Laura Kuenssberg did at to the lowest degree ask the existential question, although she felt unable to answer it. (There are non ‘economic’ together with ‘political’ truths: arithmetics is arithmetic, lies are lies.) But at that topographic point are unfortunately other occasions when the Brexit dividend was treated every bit if it was existent together with set into headlines (e.g. here), missing out the showtime layer of the truth sandwich. And of course of study the Marr interview on Sunday, where he did non fifty-fifty inquiry the concept. All also oftentimes (e.g. here) whatever questioning of the dividend was left to the goal of the article together with was presented inwards the touchstone ‘he said,she said’ format.

Why does this all matter? In damage of Brexit, it is obvious. Another barefaced prevarication inwards the Brexit motility was £350 per calendar week for the NHS. Most Brexiters proceed to believe that they volition live amend off later Brexit, together with I suspect most are non aware why this is unlikely to live true. Talk of the Brexit dividend is designed to maintain them inwards their ignorance.

But I cry upwards its importance goes good beyond Brexit. Why don’t politicians prevarication to a greater extent than oftentimes to heighten their cause? Some receive got integrity, but for the others the deterrent is existence found out. But existence found out depends critically on the media calling out lies when they happen. And when a large department of the media are rattling selective nearly how they process lies depending on who said them or why they were said, or indeed are oftentimes the rootage of these lies, lodge has a serious problem.

That is the province of affairs inwards the US amongst Fox together with Trump together with inwards the Great Britain amongst the correct fly press together with Brexit or the Conservatives to a greater extent than generally. How the impress media inwards the US together with the broadcast media inwards the Great Britain treats lies has thence overstep critical. With lies ‘she said, he said’ type reporting is but non sufficient to defend democracy. Now oftentimes it is quite hard to examine individual is lying, but if I could delineate a barefaced prevarication every bit 1 where it is rattling tardily to flora the truth, so the Brexit dividend is a barefaced lie. OBR documents, accepted yesteryear the authorities every bit the footing for their revenue enhancement together with pass decisions, present quite clearly that the coin has already been spent. You cannot pass the same coin twice.

The correct fly Brexit press receive got already supported this lie. As most of their readers also sentry broadcasters, it is imperative that these broadcasters inflict about political harm on those who tell the lie. If they produce not, the lesson for certain politicians volition describe is that they also tin larn away amongst barefaced lies, encouraging the form of behavior nosotros come across amongst Trump. For that ground broadcasters receive got to speak truth to power, otherwise the non-partisan media becomes complicit inwards propaganda or but a mouthpiece for politicians.