Mandy Rice Davies Applies

[djm4_lj]

"There will often be as much interpretation of what a politician is saying, as there is coverage of them actually saying it."

Tony Blair, talking disapprovingly about the news.

Obviously, if you're a control-freak like Tony Blair, you would think that's a bad thing. Personally, I want our news media to interpret what our politicians say, rather than just slavishly reporting that they've said it. And many different points of view, and different information sources? Yes please!

In other news:

Paddy Ashdown continues to talk sense on Iraq, and foreign intervention in general.

Bisexual Underground tonight.

Comments

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

I often find there's loads of interpretation of what was said, but actually finding what was said can be very difficult. Most hysterical articles turn out to be based on a wilful misunderstanding of a reasonably-inoffensive press release or statement.

[djm4]

Yes. And this possibly could be an example of that.

Except that this is Tony Blair, who ran out of 'benefit of the doubt' room with me ages ago.

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

Step 1 - establish what was said
Step 2 - decide whether what was said was what was meant. Cue interpretation in the media. Doing it in this order provides extra opportunities for the press to accuse Blair of lying, if appropriate...

[lovingboth]

Hmm, this is the person who said something like 'we must modernise the party' to his conference in 1995 or so, and then had his staff brief the media to say that of course that meant 'delete clause four'.