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Interesting tactic increasingly being employed by politicians on a sticky wicket to blame “obsessive” media for asking questions they don’t like. Journalists are obsessive about answers, we will repeat Qs if we don’t get one the first time around.
So really the issue is with the actual question. This morning there are a lot of Qs on division in the Labour Party. That’s because of a failed plan to get rid of the deputy leader yesterday and the departure of a key aide overnight.
It would be a bit strange not to ask about those things given Andrew Fisher wrote the manifesto which sold Corbyn to lots of people at the last election, he is key to the policies.
Not as common but still popping up more and more is “well I’m not hearing about that [Brexit/divisions/etc] on the doorstep so I don’t know why you’re asking about it” to suggest the Q is cynical, when it’s often driven by something uncomfortable or tricky.
Anyway, I reckon it’s worth thinking about why it’s happening and what journalists and politicians can do to change it because I’m not sure anyone wins if the media is blamed for asking tough Qs
