Spin (propaganda)

In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing a biased interpretation of an event or campaigning to persuade public opinion in favor or against some organization or public figure. While traditional public relations and advertising may also rely on "creative" presentation of the facts, "spin" often implies the use of disingenuous, deceptive, and highly manipulative tactics.^[1] Spin is typically applied to events or situations which are deemed to be unfavourable or potentially harmful to the popularity of a person, brand or product. As such, a standard approach used in "spinning" is to reframe, reposition, or otherwise modify the perception of an issue or event, to reduce any negative impact it might have on public opinion. For example, a company whose top-selling product is found to have a significant safety problem may "reframe" the issue by criticizing the safety of its main competitor's products, using a "catchy" slogan that can help to persuade the public of their point of view. This tactic could enable the company to defocus the public's attention on the negative aspects of its product. As it takes experience and training to "spin" an issue, spinning is typically a service provided by paid media advisors and media consultants. Politicians are often accused by their opponents of using deceptive "spin" tactics to manipulate public opinion. Large corporations with sophisticated public relations branches also engage in "spinning" information or events in their favor.

Terminology

The term has its origin in the old American expression "to spin a yarn". Sailors were known for using their spare time on board making thread or string (yarn) and also for telling incredible tales when they were back on shore. When someone fooled you, it was said that "he spun me an amazing yarn". Yarn also became a synonym for "tall tale" - "What a yarn!" means "what a lie."

Because of the frequent association between spin and press conferences (especially government press conferences), the room in which these take place is sometimes described as a "spin room".^[2] Public relations advisors, pollsters and media consultants who develop deceptive or misleading messages may be referred to as "spin doctors" or "spinmeisters".

History

Edward Bernays has been called the "Father of Public Relations". As Larry Tye describes in his book The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays and The Birth of Public Relations, Bernays was able to help tobacco and alcohol companies use techniques to make certain behaviors more socially acceptable in 20th-century United States. Tye claims that Bernays was proud of his work as a propagandist.^[3] As information technology has increased dramatically 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. By providing immediate counterpoint to every point a "spin doctor" can come up with, this theory suggests, the omnipresence of the Internet in some societies will inevitably lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of spin.^[4]

Techniques

The techniques of spin include:

• Selectively presenting facts and quotes that support one's position ("cherry picking"). For example, a pharmaceutical company could pick and choose two trials where their product shows a positive effect, ignoring hundreds of unsuccessful trials, or a politician's staff could handpick short speech quotations from past years which appear to show their candidate's support for a certain position)
• Non-denial denial
• Non-apology apology
• "Mistakes were made" is an expression that is commonly used as a rhetorical device, whereby a speaker acknowledges that a situation was managed by using low-quality or inappropriate handling but seeks to evade any direct admission or accusation of responsibility by not specifying the person or organization who made the mistakes. The acknowledgement of "mistakes" is framed in an abstract sense, with no direct reference to who made the mistakes. A less evasive construction might be along the lines of "I made mistakes" or "John Doe made mistakes." The speaker neither accepts personal responsibility nor accuses anyone else. The word "mistakes" also does not imply intent.
• Phrasing in a way that assumes unproven claims, or avoiding the question^[5]
• "Burying bad news": announcing unpopular things at a time when it is believed that the media will focus on other news. In some cases, governments have released potentially controversial reports on summer long weekends, to avoid significant news coverage. Sometimes that "other news" is supplied by deliberately announcing popular items at the same time.
• Misdirection and diversion^[6]

For years businesses have used fake or misleading customer testimonials by editing/spinning customers to reflect a much more satisfied experience than was actually the case. In 2009 the Federal Trade Commission updated their laws to include measures to prohibit this type of "spinning" and have been enforcing these laws as of late. Additionally, over the past 5 to 6 years several companies have arisen that verify the authenticity of the testimonials businesses present on the marketing materials in an effort to convince one to become a customer.

Fictional individuals

• Squealer in George Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm
• Malcolm Tucker – Number 10 Director of Communications and Strategy in the BBC comedy The Thick of It and the film In the Loop. Portrayed by Peter Capaldi.
• Nick Naylor – Protagonist of Christopher Buckley's bestseller Thank You for Smoking.
• Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty in the American sitcom Spin City.
• Conrad Brean – hired to save a presidential election in Wag the Dog.^[6]
• Charles Prentiss and Martin McCabe in the BBC comedy Absolute Power.
• Dick Harper – Protagonist in the film Fun With Dick and Jane.
• Jeremy Slank in Fat
• Kasper Juul in Borgen
• Major William Cage in Edge of Tomorrow
• Olivia Pope in Scandal
• The Courtier in The Courtier's Reply
• Russ Duritz in The Kid
• Tim Wattley in The Campaign
• Tony in The Hollowmen
• Borusa in Doctor Who
• Toby Ziegler in The West Wing

See also

References

Bibliography

• Roberts, Alasdair S. (2005). "Spin Control and Freedom of Information: Lessons for the United Kingdom from Canada". Public Administration. 83: 1–23. doi:10.1111/j.0033-3298.2005.00435.x. 
• Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Brooks Jackson (2007): unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation, (Random House Paperback, ISBN 978-1400065660)

External links

• Christian Science Monitor: The spin room – oily engine of the political meat grinder
• Outfoxed: OUTFOXED: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
• Spinwatch monitors spin and propaganda
• SPIN (documentary):
• Booknotes interview with Bill Press on Spin This! All The Ways We Don’t Tell the Truth, January 6, 2002.