In September, I asked on these pages whether Vince Cable was the most likely senior Lib Dem to fall foul of the coalition government and move to the backbenches, or even defect to Labour. In some respects, those questions have proved to be important ones, given Cable’s recent infidelities in declaring that he would be… [Read more…]
June 30, 2010
The embedding system introduced prior to the Iraq war was symbolic of new, friendlier relations between the army and the military. Prospective embeds were required to receive ‘a crash course in all things military’. The US army was keen not to repeat the experience of the Vietnam War, when the military believed that the press… [Read more…]
March 15, 2010
With the general election fast approaching, the debate continues to rage over what influence, if any, the internet will have on the way it is contested and the outcome. The Fabian Society’s Nick Anstead thinks the influence will be limited, and it is an opinion I find myself agreeing with. Certainly the mechanics of the… [Read more…]
February 28, 2010
In (not quite) breaking news, The Guardian is breaking records for the success of its online brand. Clearly this is a newspaper embracing the digital age with aplomb. Whether or not it will continue to attract so many visitors should it follow one of the projected future paths of charging for online content is unclear… [Read more…]
February 17, 2010
The current relationship between journalists and the intelligence services is as shrouded in mystery as one would expect. One or two ‘chosen’ journalists within a news organisation will be given a ‘contact’ within MI5 or MI6. This contact will be the person that the news organisation in question goes to for information on what is… [Read more…]
February 7, 2010
Most journalists await with anticipation news of libel law reform, and indeed what an incoming Conservative government might think about the current situation. The Sunday Times reported back in November that Lord Lester was drawing up a defamation reform bill to protect free speech and put an end to practices like libel tourism. It is… [Read more…]
December 23, 2010
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