دانلود رایگان مقاله ده سایه از حقیقت: مطالعه گذار روزنامه نگاران استرالیا برای روابط عمومی

abstract

The use of manipulative overt and covert ‘spin’ tactics by parliamentary media advisers to embellish, obfuscate and evade has been well documented. However, there has been less attention paid to the way journalists adapt to ‘spin’ culture and interpret truth once they become parliamentary media advisers. Based on inductive analysis of in-depth semistructured interviews with twenty-one Australian journalists who made the transition to parliamentary media advising, this paper offers a typology of ten subtle approaches to truth telling adopted by these journalists in their new role as political media advisers. The interview data revealed a range of pragmatic approaches including: ‘triage’, ‘putting the best foot forward’, ‘never tell a lie’, ‘playing a dead bat’, and ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’. Through the comparative insights of journalists who have worked as parliamentary media advisers, the practitioner reflections in this paper complicate the blunt conception ofthe mendacious ‘spin-doctor’ and point to the malleability of ‘truth’ in both communications roles.

5. Discussion

The reflections of the 21 journalists interviewed revealed a range of subtle responses to truth-telling once they became parliamentary media advisers. The typology of ten subtle tactics highlights several key factors in determining these former journalists approach to truth in the new PR role. Firstly, the importance of role conceptions and expectations in relation to truth; secondly, the importance of the constantly shifting political context; thirdly, the importance of ‘not lying’ to the former journalists sense of ethical well-being; and finally, similarities between journalism and PR through the use of selective truth.