Beware the spin on Budget press coverage

THIS week, as part of the Budget coverage, most journalists will labour long and hard telling us how generous our political masters and mistresses are in giving us back our own money.

Us ordinary people, who elect these politicians, should never forget that it is our money they are talking about. We should also never forget that it is our money paying their spin doctors. In addition, we should never forget that it is not in our interests that they are serving but their own addiction to power.

This situation, while regrettable, is not surprising since most of our journalism is practised by what could be called ‘official journalists’.

One only has to listen to radio, watch TV or read the newspapers on any day to come to the conclusion that Irish journalism is predominantly peopled by large numbers of forelock-tugging members of the media who grovel, curry favour and kowtow to those in powerful positions in Government.

One gets a picture, therefore, of very biased coverage of the political discourse. All of us should be wary of the political spin-doctoring that will surround press coverage of the Budget.

Anthony Leavy

1 Shielmartin Drive

Sutton

Dublin 13