Press, Politics and Lying Bastards

[DanaC]

I've been catching up on some of David Mitchell's SoapBox rants. One in particular caught my attention. Hoping this is viewable from outside the UK :p

David Mitchell Rants about the Lying Liars




The now infamous Paxman interview he refers to is here:



At the time I loved that interview. I revelled in it. The times were changing, and old assumptions of respect and deference were being thrown aside, seemingly in an active attempt to hold to account politicians who'd been allowed a free reign.

With the benefit of hindsight I see there was a less desirable, and more damaging, cultural shift going on. A shift that has continued and taken us to a place where genuine political debate and open politics are all but impossible.

There seemed to be a cross-over period. A decade maybe, where deference was falling away, and scrutiny applied, without demonizing and whilst still allowing for politics to be discussed. We seem very far away from that now.