Let me open by stating clearly that I hold no political or personal 'grá' for Gordon Brown. I'm not even following the British election campaign with any particular interest. I'll follow the count and the results next week, because I'm an 'election count junkie', but other than that, I'm not reaching for the remote control all that often to update myself on the campaign. However, like the World and his Mother, I've been very taken up by the "bigoted woman" story, that broke on Sky News yesterday, and seems to have become the 'story of the campaign'.
It's a great story, an editors dream - but I'm very uneasy about it.
Gordon Brown appears to have been caught completely unawares by a news microphone that was not switched off. He had effectively finished his formal event, and was in his car, with his personal advisors, having a private meeting. His lapel mic was still on - he didn't know that - and he spoke candidly to his team. Outside, a technician noticed that his conversation could be heard, and left the 'record' function running. Brown utters the now immortal words .. "a bigoted woman".. and because this was captured on tape .. hey presto ! A big story! A major gaffe by the Prime Minister. A gaffe that could finish Labours already slim hopes of retaining power.
So why am I uneasy?
I'm uneasy, because as a reporter, I place great value and currency in the principle that certain matters are 'Off The Record'. I've always told people .. "unless I am holding a pen and noting down what you say, or pointing a microphone at you, then we are off the record.." It's a principle thats stood to me well over the years, and enabled me to get many an inside track 'off the record', that gave me a great story when we eventually went 'on the record'. Besides that, however, I don't believe that just because I'm a journalist, people should be afraid that I'm always on the lookout for a 'line' or an 'angle'. I know some reporters who work like that, and I don't like it.
And that's my problem with the Gordon Brown story..
I think that the Prime Ministers privacy has been unfairly invaded. He passed a remark (albeit a tasteless one) in a private meeting with his advisors. It was accidentally recorded. That accidental recording was taken and turned into a major news story. Was it a great scoop, or an unfair act of opportunism?
Am I the only one, who is asking myself this today???
