Director’s Blog

Polis Summer School

If people feel that mainstream media is ignoring alternative politics, then they can now create their own media. But how should traditional journalism respond? Should it change its ideas of impartiality to reflect the real diversity of contemporary politics? This is Polis Summer School student Steven Linett’s course paper that tackles this complex problem, citing media around the rise of US Militia movement.

How impartiality and objectivity in journalism changes in the New Media environment by Steven Linett

The new media environment has helped level the playing field for those outside the mainstream media to publish and disseminate their views to the world.  This environment appears to be a godsend for the participatory models of democracy, which “emphasize the importance of ‘real’ citizens’ participation and their more active involvement in democracy (Barber 1984).  As such, they criticize the radical separation of citizens from power, the elites and democratic institutions through representation” (Bailey, et al. 2008). (more…)

No Regrets

Tony Blair’s resolute, unchanging, self-affirming appearance at the impotent Chilcot Inquiry reminded us of the Politician’s Virility Dilemma. If they change their minds or admit fault then they are seen as weak. If they stick to their guns they are seen as strong but wrong. We in the media and the public can enjoy 20-20 hindsight while those who make history are doomed to live in it.

As Paul Staines so crisply put it, the Chilcot Inquiry will change nothing and nobody will change their minds. Indeed, “for the political classes [the Blair hearing at Chilcott] is the Super-Bowl of political self-justification.”

Of course, many journalists and voters have changed their minds about the invasion of Iraq. Or at least, there has been a remarkable re-framing of the story. It is often ignored that at the time just about everyone thought it likely that Saddam had WMD – that wasn’t really the issue. The argument was over what to do about it. And the real damage was done not by the invasion but the aftermath. I don’t remember anyone talking about that at the time, though now everyone claims they knew we were unprepared for the Post-Saddam situation. (more…)

America is, in part, a Third World country that has not got over the deep stain of slavery – but it is also the most exciting and innovative society in the world. That was the realistic but approving verdict of BBC North America Editor Justin Webb in a Polis talk, as he reflected on his experiences covering key events in recent American politics, from 9/11 to the election of its first African-American leader.

This report by Jasmine Chan. (more…)

Philip Gould, the political communications guru was teaching at LSE just hours after Obama had delivered his inauguration speech. This is a man who, along with many other eager Modernisers, went to Clinton’s America back in the mid-90s to find out how to reinvent left-wing politics and get back into power.

So it was interesting to hear Gould deconstruct the Obama magic. He was impressed but unexcited by the speech which he felt lacked that killer phrase, that soundbite to summarise an historic moment. (more…)

The BBC was flush with correspondents at the inauguration of President Obama – but why didn’t they let the people speak? (more…)

It was, indeed, an awesome moment. Such a man at such a time. And he dealt beautifully with the fluff at his swearing in. (more…)

Is there anything that the UK news media can learn from the Obama campaign? This is the question of the month for the collection of US and UK journalist/academic bloggers that make up the Carnival of Journalism.

There is certainly loads that UK politicians could learn. They might try to emulate the way that Obama’s team combined ruthless professionalism with social participation. Jack Lail outlines in his blog entry the clever ways that new technology was exploited to bring in new supporters and then harness their enthusiasm to win the primaries and the Presidential elections. He lists the five elements that worked: (more…)

I have written elsewhere about how Obama’s campaign was radically different. It terms of tactics, methods, participation, new media and race it seemed to signal a shift. But one cold fact reminds us that nothing has changed about US politics. In fact it has got ‘worse’. The evidence is that money still decides elections from the top to the bottom of the democratic structure. (more…)

As financial chaos engulfs the final days of the Bush/Cheney administration it is difficult to remember that this team was once seen as not only uniquely ideologically-driven, but also exceptionally powerful. Somehow they had overridden electoral mishaps, legal objections, administrational scandal and the distain of much of the world to bring about major acts of policy: tax cuts for the rich, withdrawal from various global agreements and, of course, the war in Iraq.  (more…)

The economic disaster has been a boost for Obama. This is despite recent efforts by the BBC to suggest that McCain is fighting back or that race might still do for the Democratic candidate.

I joined my colleagues Professor Mick Cox and Mark Duckenfield at an LSE Ideas meeting with London’s international media to talk about the US Elections. They both seemed to think that the game is up for the Republicans thanks in large measure to the “the economy stupid”. (more…)