Election 2010….. It’s going to be a dirty one

Mon 9th Nov 2009 and today we get the first indications of what to expect in the next general election. Both the BBC and GMTV included in their headlines round up that Gordon Brown was “in the dock” over his letter to the mother of a fallen soldier. Mrs Jacqui Janes was said to be “furious” over the letter that she received.

Then both showed a page from Today’s Sun newspaper purporting to display a letter full of “errors”. What it seemed to show was a hand written note from the Prime Minister sent to the mother of a soldier killed while service in Afghanistan expressing the sentiments that would be expected. Mrs Janes to whom it was sent reportedly threw it away contemptuouly as “it was riddled with errors”. As the person to whom the letter was written as a condolence, Mrs Janes is entitled to treat it in any way she wishes

However the letter is reproduced in the Sun with its “errors” highlighted.
Mr Brown’s sentiments are not exactly original but they do sound honest. His handwriting will never win a class prize that is obvious. But the letter “riddled with errors” can just as easily be read as a genuine attempt to provide sympathy at a difficult time. The Murdoch press however sets out to revile the prime minister’s efforts and adds insult to injury by providing an analysis from the ”Sun’s own handwriting expert’s” indication that the PM has “no empathy”

Mrs Janes has said she would prefer her letter to have been type written. Presumably the Sun would then have raged at the failure to provide the personal touch. Once the Murdoch press have decided that they are against you, do not expect fair play, or any decent standard of reporting.

Rupert decided long ago that it was time to back the Tories again. So in the run up to the general election all of his newspapers, not just the Sun but the Times, will portray not only a favourable view of everything said or done by the Tory Party but employ the black arts of negative coverage against opponents, whether the vitriol is actually merited or not. So beware, the Dirty Digger is about to get nasty again.

The real question that needs to be asked however is why both BBC and GMTV feel the need to further propagate the story. Anyone reading the original in the Sun would make no mistake that it was little more than a Sun dirt splattering exercise. What editorial value did either news organisation see in repeating it?