Andy Coulson was interviewed as a witness by police on Thursday but that information was not released to the media until after the deadline for the Saturday papers.
Today we see the Government announcing a new initiative – “the Whitehall hit squad” first thing in the morning. As ever, this is before they make a statement to the House of Commons. This is an attempt to set the media agenda for the week.
It will probably work. Why? Spin, fear and the indifference of some senior lobby journalists who are key to deciding if a story is “important”.
For example, we still have no comment from the BBC’s chief political reporter Nick Robinson on the Coulson affair – even when Murdoch is trying to buy BSkyB. If you take time to think about it, it’s at best an odd omission.
The PM’s personally appointed Director of Communications is interviewed by the police and Nick Robinson doesn’t report or comment on it.
That’s why it’s up to you to make sure your own personal networks are kept informed. Please send the link to this story to your colleagues and friends.
6 comments ↓
The spin of politicians and government is awful.
However, lets take other examples of BBC bias. It’s endemic.
1. Spending cuts. It’s actually a choice of who cuts. The government or individuals. If you want the government to keep spending, that means taxpayers have to cut their spending on their families in order to feed the beast. Either now or in the future. You only hear about keeping the government spending going, nothing about personal cuts.
2. Taxation. It doesn’t make sense to cut PS jobs, because they will stop paying taxes. They will, unless they get another job. However we also stop paying them money so they can pay tax. No consideration of where their pay comes from.
3. Debt. The real big one. No mention of the real liabilities of the government. The Tories aren’t going to fix this. 300,000 pounds per taxpayer plus interest. Why is the BBC keeping quite? For the same reasons they are keeping quite about Coulson. Letting the cat out of the bag would mean their funding is at risk.
Perhaps Nick Robinson is subject of a “secret dossier”?
Tom
Would you be able to point out the laws that you believe have been broken?
Thanks
Nick robinson (aka Bilko) is right Camerons pocket
He should be fired
Tom
Posted comment below on the Flanders and Peston blogs this evening. Then did a google search on Coulson and Robinson and came across your comment.
Off topic so will be brief. Does anyone else think it is oddd that Nick Robinson (BBC Political Editor) has not done a single comment/blog on the Coulson affair?
I was going to make this comment on his blog but it was closed half an hour before the most recent reveleations were reported by the BBC this evening.
Last Friday the BBC reported, that Coulson had been interviewed by the police the previous Thursday. Is it just a co-incidence that news on Coulson is released on a Friday night – the night people are most likely to miss the news and too late to make it easy for the Saturday papers to analyse.
Seems to me someone is concerned. I know Mr Coulson is fantastic at his job and we do not want to offend Mr Murdoch but surely the time has come for him to at least stand aside pending completion of the police inquiry.
Perhaps Nick Robinson has caught the NOTW editors disease (Bob Bird has now reportedly caught it in the Sheridan Trial) that of “not recalling” salient facts.
Andy Coulson is due to appear as a defence witness later in the trial so can we expect a lot more “cannot recalls” a la Select Committee evidence?
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