Critically assess the view that politicians increasingly ‘pa

Advertising is now an essential part of any political party, and it can perhaps be argued that the government need to promote their policies as much as any company needs to advertise their latest product. However, by exploiting the accessibility of television, the information becomes diluted and trimmed down into short bursts and soundbites, it becomes trivial, simplified and ‘gimmicky’ similar to the Party Election Broadcasts which now seem to be over in the blink of an eye. However, the New Labour government has come under heavy criticism for its advertising expenditure, which, since Labour came to power in 1997, has risen steadily year on year. Of course, the use of television as

a promotional tool should not be sniffed at; most people have a television nowadays and so in theory, more people receive more information in a more accessible form, leading to greater public awareness and greater voter interest. Their skill and adeptness at using the media has meant they are guaranteed coverage on a daily basis - whether the public are as quick or as keen to consume politics is a question answered by the voter turnout figures from the last election. The public’s interest is not obtained, only their scepticism, partly down to the realisation that their money is being squandered on image rather than the development and improvement of the country’s services. Andrew Marr was given such an ultimatum when editor of the Independent - his boss was telephoned by Labour spin doctors and told to find someone else for the job, indicating that the government has no qualms about dictating whose journalistic career can flourish and whose can be affected if they believe their reputation to be under threat.

It is therefore clear than politics is ‘packaged’.

One of New Labour’s main aims when they came to power in 1997 was to secure a complimentary public image and ensure they were always presented in a good light. Through using the COI, the government can

3

obtain considerable discounts but it will also ‘top-up’ its advertising using private sector expertise from agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi. The government buys most of its advertising from the Central Office of Information (COI), an agency which advises governments on marketing campaigns and press work as well as supplying the necessary staff, such as journalists, press officers, film makers and editors (Franklin 1999). The Government Information and Communications Service (GICS) consists of over 1,000 press and PR specialists and are an important resource for Campbell as a tool for news management.

ADVERTISING

Harold Wilson said in the 1960s that “most of politics is presentation”, and it is this observation that can be easily applied to the New Labour government of today. They are used to issue information but in accordance to a code of conduct that establishes their impartiality and independence from the government.