Pen-Elayne on the Web

Anatomy of a Spin

So, what's London really doing to gear up for Bush's visit next week? Depends on what paper you read. Check out this list of articles on Google. The headline of American corporation CBS says security has been beefed up, but if you actually check the article - where they only asked one guy, Andy Trotter, deputy assistant commissioner of the capital's Metropolitan Police - even Trotter said "that demonstrations against the Iraq war and other Bush policies will go ahead as freely as possible." UK-based Reuters is probably closer to the mark, not burying their lede at all: "Police say there will be no special 'exclusion zones' for U.S. President George W. Bush's visit next week and he could easily come into contact with anti-war protesters." Horrors! India seems to wants to sow mistrust and fear; the Statesman suggests that "Al-Qaida may target Bush in London" and The Hindu agrees. So does China View. Singapore's Strait Times insinuates that maybe central London should really be shut down to protect Bush from reality terrorists. Nothing like conveniently dangling the spectre of Al-Qaeda bogeymen to stifle legitimate protest, eh?