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| Jim Murphy MP |
How modern journalism works
by Rev. Stuart Campbell (November 25, 2014)
It is, in fairness, a fairly slow time for politics news at the moment. But it’s striking all the same to open this morning’s papers and see almost all of them running what’s not only basically the exact same story, but also the exact same groundless spin on it.
THE SCOTSMAN: “Jim Murphy tells Scots Labour to back tax powers”
DAILY RECORD: “Labour leadership frontrunner Jim Murphy set to back full income tax-raising powers for Holyrood”
THE GUARDIAN: “Scotland [is] to be offered total control over income tax after Labour U-turn. Labour’s policy shift will be confirmed on Tuesday by Jim Murphy, the favourite to become the next Scottish Labour leader.”
THE HERALD: “Murphy to support handing full income tax powers to Holyrood”
THE TIMES: “Murphy calls for full income tax devolution”
BBC NEWS: “Scottish Labour leadership candidate Jim Murphy is calling on his party to support the full devolution of income tax to Holyrood.”
STV NEWS: “Labour candidate Murphy calls for ‘full devolution of income tax'”
EVENING TIMES: “Murphy in call for full devolution of income tax”
There’s only one thing conspicuously missing from all of the stories – a quote from Jim Murphy saying he backs the devolution of full income tax powers to Holyrood [...] It’s almost as if, cynical readers might be forgiven for thinking, Murphy’s press team had sent out an identical press release to all of the media’s most sympathetic Labour hacks – Magnus Gardham, Torcuil Crichton, Severin Carrell, Andrew Whitaker – and they’d all printed it with only the most superficial of edits.
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All things to all men
All things to all men
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