1. Fake election: lessons for
journalism from UK GE 2017
Professor Charlie Beckett
@CharlieBeckett
Madrid
June 2017
2. The ideal of political communications
Political ‘event’
Critical but
constructive
coverage
Informed public,
agonistic debate
Politicians
communicate
transparently
and engage in
open debate
Competitive
marketplace of
ideas and policy
development
4. The vicious spin cycle of pre-social media
political communications
Political event
Critical and hostile
news media coverage
Public lose
confidence in
politicians or policies
Politicians seek
tighter control of
message through
more constrained
and stage-managed
communications
Public and journalists
more frustrated,
cynical and angry,
debate degraded,
coverage increasingly
hostile
6. The vicious spin cycle of networked political
communications: eg UK GE2017
Political event
Social media
reaction plus
news media
coverage
Emotionally-
driven response
amplified and
accelerated
through
polarising digital
networks
Politicians seek
tighter control of
messages and
stage-
management
Public and
journalists more
frustrated,
cynical and
angry, debate
degraded
18. In the end it was about politics
• Brexit not an issue – not debated – anti-austerity and anti-authority played
• Campaign did matter and Corbyn ‘won it’ – built base – echo chamber
mobilised support
• May ran sterile campaign and u-turns blew competence claim
• But record Conservative vote – just down on early opinion polls
• High turnout – especially young – divisive result
• UKIP split to Labour and Conservatives
• Main two parties dominated
• Labour’s ‘Radical’ ideas were actually moderate/transactional
• The more they saw of Corbyn the more they liked him
19. Further reading:
• How should we report elections?
• http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2017/06/10/how-we-report-elections-a-
new-agenda-after-the-2017-shock/
• This was a fake politics election
• http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2017/06/07/never-mind-fake-news-this-
was-the-fake-politics-election/
• Liberalism Trumped – it’s time to listen to the angry mob
• http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2016/06/09/liberalism-trumped-its-time-
to-listen-to-the-angry-mob/
20. How to escape the vicious spin cycle of
political communications?
Political event or
statement
delivered with
authenticity and
transparency
Social media and
mainstream
news media
coverage plural ,
evidence-based
and interactive
Emotional/empath
etic informed
response amplified
and accelerates
agonistic
exchanges through
transparent digital
networks
Politicians
negotiate
response openly,
politically.
Public and
journalists more
engaged, lines of
accountability
clearer,
responsibilities
more defined
