Remember the days when Conservatives used to ridicule Tony Blair for appearing on daytime television? Thankfully those days are in the past. David Cameron has regularly made appearances on daytime TV programmes such as his visit to the This Morning studio today.
Cameron is a great performer in this environment and is very much at ease talking about issues as diverse as breast feeding, brotherly love as well as touchingly discussing the death of his father.
In the days when Blair's opponents attacked him for these type of appearances they conveniently forgot that it was Margaret Thatcher who first embraced all types of softer media to get her message across. Mrs Thatcher appeared on Saturday Superstore and was interviewed by Woman's Own, She and even Smash Hits. Sadly I have never seen the BBC documentary she appeared in entitled 'An English Woman's Wardrobe'.
In the days when fewer and fewer people are watching the evening news bulletins, reading newspapers or showing even the faintest interest in politics, finding new ways to get your message across is essential.
The way politicians use programmes like This Morning just goes to show how there has been a general dumbing down in society over the last 30 years. People should not be applauding this but instead fighting against it.
ReplyDeleteThat's nonsense, Veronica! It is not a dumbing down, just moving with the times. Next you'll be saying that politicians shouldn't be using the internet to get their message across!
ReplyDeletePerhaps if politicians acted in the way you would expect of them then people would have far more respect for them. It happened with the Royal Family as well. When the Royals started trying to be populist that was when it all went wrong. Remember Fergie and It's a Royal Knockout? If those in powerful positions kept their dignity then they would also be viewed better by us mere mortals.
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