Political Commentary

Political Reporting (JN 513/815)

Lecture Outline• 1. Introduction• 2. Defining Political Commentary• 3. Kinds of Political Commentators• 4. Commentary and Reportage• 5. Functions of Political Commentary

Introduction• The news media not only set the agenda –

determining which news stories are covered – but they also influence the evaluation of that news agenda – privileging particular interpretations of major news stories.

• While we have seen a decline in investigative journalism, the news media have become more interpretative – more journalist-pundits or political commentators.

Introduction• Tony Blair’s departing

comments on the news media: “[The Independent] started as an antidote to the idea of journalism as views not news. That was why it was called the Independent. Today it is avowedly a viewspaper not merely a newspaper. The final consequence of all of this is that it is rare today to find balance in the media.”

Introduction• Political commentary in recent years was a way to

differentiate print media from the news bulletins of television and radio and respond to declining circulations. Now it is intertwined with social media/blogs.

Defining Political Commentary• As name suggests, opinion columns have strongly

focused arguments and commentators often have defined ideological position.

• The column “is a stylistic dramatisation not only of the subject or issue at hand but also of the pundit’s rightful status to speak on it authoritatively” (Nimmo & Combs 1992, p. 12).

Defining Political Commentary

• The journalist-pundit is accepted as an authority on political affairs, has good access to political circles, and is “a source of opinion-formation and opinion-articulation, agenda-setting and agenda-evaluation” (Nimmo & Combs 1992, p. 8).

• “Columnists build their reputations, and sell themselves, on the authority of their public voice, which in turn is derived from a combination of intellect, articulacy (in whatever idiom is appropriate to the organ in which it appears), knowledge and contacts” (McNair 2000, p. 64).

Defining Political Commentary

• Political commentators play crucial role in relations between the political and journalistic fields – primarily relevant to political class?

• Of course politicians also play role of political commentators and engage in political dialogue with opponents through commentary.

Defining Political Commentary

• Nimmo and Combs (1992) argue that pundits, presenting themselves as elites with special knowledge, work to exclude the public.

• But McNair (2000, p. 81) defends pundits/columnists:• “Pundits are by definition an elite group, as the

nature of their work and the mode of its operation demands. We would hardly trust them to be gatekeepers, organisers and interpreters of our political environment were they unable to demonstrate particular skills which the average journalist, let alone the average citizen, did not possess.”

Defining Political Commentary

• McNair (2000, p. 82) concludes: “…the ‘columnary explosion … is an intelligble journalistic adaptation to an environment which is highly competitive, information-rich and intensively manipulated by political actors. We need the interpretative moment in journalism, I have suggested, because the world is too complex, its information flows too rapid, for us to make sense of on our own.”

• It could be argued that the interpretative, adversarial nature of political commentary best serves the watchdog role of journalism.

Kinds of Political Commentators

• McNair (2000, pp. 65-66) distinguishes between ‘polemical’ columnists who go ‘against the grain of current thinking with their provocative, deliberately inflammatory expressions of opinion’ and ‘analytical-advisory’ columnists who ‘prefer a more restrained rhetorical style, signalling their distinctiveness and individuality by intellectual, rather than polemical means’.

Kinds of Political Commentators

• Provocative columnists such as Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Littlejohn and Melanie Philips. Also George Monbiot on the left of the political spectrum.

• http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/05/29/questions-daily-mail-and-richard-littlejohn-following-transgender-teacher-lucy

• http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/comment/columns/jeremyclarkson/article1381563.ece

Kinds of Political Commentators

• Influential commentators such as Polly Toynbee (Guardian), Matthew d’Ancona (Sunday Telegraph).

Commentary and Reportage• Commentary is derivative – it relies on some kind

of pre-text.• Commentary gives “voice to facts” – necessarily

interpretative. • Commentators often do reporting.• Division between comment and reporting less

clear-cut. The “division between comment and reporting has become steadily eroded, so it’s difficult to know where comment ends and reporting begins” – Catherine Mayer.

Commentary and Reportage• Context of political commentary – opinion

columns usually published opposite editorials and letters-to-the-editor.

• Commentary now plays more active role in narrative structure of newspapers, running in tandem with news stories or sometimes driving news agenda – see Tristram Hunt reply to Gove story in The Observer.

•

Commentary and Reportage• Commentary and Blogs.• With decline of print the blogosphere is

increasingly important. The brand of key columnists translates into blogs – Catherine Mayer.

• Key blogs (among so many) include:• PoliticsHome - http://www.politicshome.com • Ian Dale’s Diary -

http://iaindale.blogspot.co.uk • Guido Fawkes - http://order-order.com • Coffee House (Spectator) -

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/ • Tom Watson MP -

http://www.tom-watson.co.uk • Open Democracy -

http://www.opendemocracy.net/countries/uk • http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/

17/newmedia.politicsandthemedia

• Some distinguish between comment and bloggers with greater scrutiny and editorial judgment said to be exercised in newspaper commentary.

Functions of Political Commentary

• 1. They entertain.• Political commentary is individualistic, stylish and

witty. Intersects with more general culture of political satire.

• 2. They set agendas.• Powerful columnists can provoke issues, target

weaknesses of politicians, etc.• 3. They say they tell the truth – and alert the

people to the lies told to them by politicians.

Functions of Political Commentary

• 4. They do battle. Provoke and animate aggressive journalistic culture. While they can exercise balance their singular opinions are set against others.

• 5. They spot, or set, trends. Not only politically but also culturally (such as Tom Wolfe on 60s and 70s culture).

• 6. They form, or speak to, constituencies. They often embody political stance of publication and express value system of section of the public.

• “Comment is the essential intersection between the political class and the public” – Charles Clarke.

Functions of Political Commentary

• 7. They change their minds. Shift in opinion on political crises can prompt actions (such as resignations).

• 8. They have the power to destroy ministerial and other public careers. They amplify reporting and give judgments on issues.

References• Hobsbawm, J & Lloyd, J 2008, The power of the commentariat, Editorial

Intelligence and Reuters Foundation.• McNair, B 2000, Journalism and Democracy: An evaluation of the political

public sphere. Routledge, London.• Nimmo, D & Combs, J.E. 1992, Political Pundits, Praeger, New York.

Seminar Questions• 1. How important are ‘facts’ in political

commentary?• 2. The Montgomerie column states “Today,

bloggers keep all columnists on their toes. Facts are checked, prejudices challenged, biases exposed.” Does the rise of political commentary and the blogosphere contribute to a more active and critical public sphere?

• 3. Do you follow a particular political commentator on a regular basis?