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???
"Was it a great scoop, or an unfair act of opportunism?"
ReplyDeleteScoop I say.
You or I were talkling to Gordon Brown in private or off the record and he called the person in question a "bigoted woman" - it wouldn't be justified to go off an tell the public what he really thought of her.
However, he and his aides were the ones that forgot to remove the mic. I see this as very unfortunate, but it happened nonetheless.
I wasn't happy with the way SNR sent down a story saying he called a voter on the campaign trail a bigot without initially mentioning the eastern european immigrants comment she had made.
They did eventually mention this fact in later copy sent down but they were slow off the mark, in my opinion - so much so I called them to ask what they were doing about it.
As for the mic - well a lesson learned maybe a little too late I think.
As for the story breaking in "real time" - the journos surrounding him moments before he made that comment were in the middle of a fairly dull media jaunt ...If I was the Sky reporter, I would have been tapping up my copy and then this would have come through, fallen into my lap.....Gordon Brown was acting one way in front of GILLIAN and spoke about her with contempt behind closed car doors, lets face it, beacuse it didn't go his way.
He probably had no opinion on her really if it wasn't so close to polling day.
I just couldn't leave it go - I'd most definately run with it for the simple reason that it was he who brought the media out on this run around with the common people and when it didn't go well - he blamed everyone else including poor Sally!?!.
He wanted to go out and meet with "real voters" - and here was an example of how he just can't do it.
The report was justified in my opinion.
Glad you got the ball rolling on this one.
tanx PJ, didn't have time to read this story...also headlining here today, so thank you for the summary. Very unfortunate timing for Labour!
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