Corporate lies getting you down? Don't know if that press release you've been sent or story you've been reading was funded by a generous donation from a major corporation or interested government?
A small group of investigative journalists and academics have launched Spinwatch, a site devoted to informing journalists and the general public about the behind-the-scenes interests that influence - and occasionally create - the news. The site is being launched to coincide with a conference on government spin and corporate deception at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
David Miller, a professor of sociology at Strathclyde and cofounder of the site, says the lies over non-existent weapons of mass destruction, and the general lack of questioning in the mainstream media, inspired him to take action. There was plenty of evidence in September and October of 2002 that Iraq did not have WMD, he says, but it was not until March 2004 that the mainstream media, including the Guardian, began to make the lack of WMD the main story.
I hereby declare myself a partisan, but I must unspin the good professor. The Guardian was indeed arguing that there was no evidence of Iraqi WMD in September 2002.
At any rate, his point that we are all victims of government and corporate spin is unassailable. Miller wants to recreate US corporate bugbear PR Watch for a UK and European audience, an admirable aim. He also claims Corpwatch and the Corporate Europe Observatory as inspirations.
Those interested in this sort of thing should also check out US site Fair (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), who have been doing much the same thing since 1986. They also produce a weekly radio broadcast, Counterspin, available online.
