Editing Spin (propaganda) (section)

== History ==
{{Rhetoric}}
=== Rise of political spin ===
[[Edward Bernays]] has been called the "Father of Public Relations". Bernays helped [[tobacco]] and [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] companies make consumption of their products more socially acceptable, and he was proud of his work as a propagandist.<ref>Stauber, John and Sheldon Rampton. [http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1999Q2/bernays.html "Book Review: ''The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays & The Birth of PR'' by Larry Tye,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121185416/http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1999Q2/bernays.html |date=2008-11-21 }} ''PR Watch'' (Second Quarter 1999). Vol. 6, No. 2.</ref> Throughout the 1990s, the use of spin by politicians and parties accelerated, especially in the [[United Kingdom]]; the emergence of 24-hour news increased pressures placed upon journalists to provide nonstop content, which was further intensified by the competitive nature of British broadcasters and newspapers, and content quality declined due to 24-hour news' and political parties' techniques for handling the increased demand.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=Nicholas|date=2003|title=24-hours media|journal=Journal of Public Affairs|volume=3|issue=1|pages=27–31|doi=10.1002/pa.130}}</ref> This led to journalists relying more heavily on the public relations industry as a source for stories, and advertising revenue as a profit source, making them more susceptible to spin.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sOkcBQAAQBAJ&q=Mass+media+politics+and+democracy&pg=PR10|title=Mass media, politics and democracy|last=Street|first=John|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2011|isbn=9781137015556|location=Basingstoke}}</ref>

Spin in the United Kingdom began to break down with the high-profile resignations of the architects of spin within the [[New Labour]] government, with [[Charlie Whelan]] resigning as [[Gordon Brown]]'s spokesman in 1999 and [[Alastair Campbell]] resigning as [[Tony Blair]]'s Press Secretary in 2003.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gaber|first=Ivor|date=2004|title=Alastair Campbell, exit stage left: Do the "Phillis" recommendations represent a new chapter in political communications or is it "business as usual"?|journal=Journal of Public Affairs|volume=4|issue=4|pages=365–373|doi=10.1002/pa.199}}</ref> As information technology has increased since the end of the 20th century, commentators like [[Joe Trippi]] have advanced the theory that modern [[Internet activism]] spells the end for political spin, in that the Internet may reduce the effectiveness of spin by providing immediate counterpoints.<ref>Branigan, Tania, "[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jun/13/newmedia.egovernment Internet spells end for political spin, says US web guru]", ''[[The Guardian]]''. 12 June 2007.</ref>

=== Examples of spin doctors ===
Spin doctors can either command media attention or remain anonymous. Examples from the UK include [[Jamie Shea]] during his time as [[NATO]]'s press secretary throughout the [[Kosovo War]], Charlie Whelan, and Alastair Campbell.<ref name=":1" />{{Unclear inline|date=March 2022}}<!-- Were they anonymous? -->

Campbell, previously a journalist before becoming Tony Blair's Press Secretary, was the driving force behind a government that was able to produce the message it wanted in the media. He played a key role in important decisions, with advisors viewing him as a 'Deputy Prime Minister' inseparable from Blair.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=he15AAAAIAAJ|title=Alastair Campbell: New Labour and the rise of the media class|last=Oberne|first=Peter|publisher=Aurum|year=1999|isbn=9781854106476|location=London}}</ref> Campbell identifies how he was able to spin [[Rupert Murdoch]], during a meeting in July 1995, into positively reporting an upcoming Blair speech, gathering the support from ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' and ''[[The Times]]'', popular British newspapers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QlMMhKCUfIMC&q=The+Blair+Years&pg=PR11|title=The Blair years: extracts from the Alastair Campbell diaries|last1=Campbell|first1=Alastair and|last2=Scott|first2=Richard|publisher=Hutchinson|year=2007|isbn=9780099514756|location=London}}</ref> Campbell later acknowledged that his and the government's spinning had contributed to the electorate's growing distrust of politicians, and he asserted that spin must cease.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Campbell|first=Alastair|date=2002|title=It's time to bury spin|journal=British Journal Review|volume=13|issue=4|pages=15–23|doi=10.1177/095647480201300403|s2cid=143847032}}</ref>

"Spin doctors" such as Shea praised and respected Campbell's work. In 1999, during the beginning of NATO's intervention in Kosovo, Shea's media strategy was non-existent before the arrival of Campbell and his team. Campbell taught Shea how to organise his team to deliver what he wanted to be in the media, which led to Shea being appreciated for his work by President [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name=":2" />