Page 29 - The Voice of Authority

Spin happens—according to whatever point you’re try-
ing to put forward and according to your own biases.
(There’s ethical and unethical spin, of course. But more
about that later.)
Recently, in my blog (http://booherbanter.typepad.com)
I wrote about the spin each TV network gave the story of
Al-Zarqawi’s death in Iraq. Some of the comments heard
the morning after on various morning network shows:

“It’s a great victory for the U.S. this morning.”
“His death will have little real effect on the war in
Iraq.”

“It’s only a psychological victory.”
“It’s a great symbolic victory.”
“I think we’ll begin to see things improve substan-
tially now in Iraq.”
“His death will certainly boost Bush’s ratings at
home.”

“But we need to do a reality check on how little his
death will really affect Bush’s ratings here at home.”
“Al-Zarqawi was the most recognizable terrorist
name in Iraq.”
“Al-Zarqawi was nothing more than a street thug
who knew how to use the media—others behind the
scenes control the real power.”

Biases and emotions have a way of working their way to
the surface of most conversations. If you want an intriguing
pastime while waiting in line at the airport or grocery store,
try decoding people’s language to see what you can learn
about their underlying assumptions and belief systems.
Spin is natural. We all spin. Otherwise, we’d never get a

Is It Correct? 17