Modern politics tend to merge the roles of “spin doctors”, lobbyist and politician in a form that is less presentational. A sign of this blend can be seen on how politicians move around jobs: the core work is familiar at the three locations (Moloney, K. (2006). By looking at the relationship between politicians and the media, and more importantly between the government and the media, it can be proposed that the journalist is trying to get out and find out information and present the facts while the politician will want to ensure that a news story reflects the ‘message’ that he or she wishes to get across. It is very common to see the politicians to attempt to control the media representations as they want to make sure that they feeding the public with the right information and protect the public interest in any occasion.
Interested point has been made in the Phillis report (An Independent Review of Government Communications) which was published in 2004, we can see that the Civil Service has not grasped the potential of modern communications as a service provided for citizens. It is a much criticised report in one hand but on the other is a good reflection of how government acts towards public interest and how could be developed in order to be more precise and more efficient. Some of the major points that has been addressed are: A three-way breakdown of trust between politicians, the media and the general public, with suggestion that politicians and the media should consider the extent to which their behaviour might support or challenge the objective of these recommendations and to help restore public trust in lawful government communication.
Furthermore, according to a research carried out by the group of the report showed that much can be done to improve the relevance and appeal of communication from government by tailoring it to the different communities of the United Kingdom. As the public wants information that is more relevant to them and where they live, rather general information that is not related to a specific region. Moreover, a recommendation that has been made was that communications should be redefined across government to mean a continuous dialogue with all interested parties, encompassing a broader range of skills and techniques than those associated with media relations. Also one of the major assumptions was that the lobby system is no longer working effectively for either the government or the media and is recommended a new form where all major government media briefings should be on the record live on television and radio and with full transcripts available promptly online. Ministers should deliver announcements and briefings relevant to their department at the daily lobby briefings, which should also be televised, and respond to questions of the day on behalf of the government.
Furthermore a modern government communications should be based on the following principles:
• Openness, not secrecy.• More direct, unmediated communications to the public.• Genuine engagement with the public as part of policy formation and delivery, not communication as an afterthought.• Positive presentation of government policies and achievements, not misleading spin.
• Use of all relevant channels of communication, not excessive emphasis on national press and broadcasters.
• Co-ordinated communication of issues that cut across departments, not conflicting or duplicated departmental messages.
• Reinforcement of the Civil Service’s political neutrality, rather than a blurring of government and party communications
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