The televised Prime Ministerial debates have added a compelling new edge to the electioneering campaigns of all parties. One of the most notable and potentially momentous implications of this new form of political canvassing has been the unexpected leap in open public support for Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. Following the first debate, polls showed that the party had gained huge popularity, to the extent that some polls lead to the conclusion that they were in fact serious candidates to gain a majority in the impending election. The backlash to these results has been interesting to say the least.

One of the major arguments for the sudden leap in popularity of the Liberal Democrats following the first televised debate was the fact that Clegg for the most part was distanced from the bickering and belittling evident between the leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties. By escaping the brunt of the targeted attacks rife between David Cameron and Gordon Brown, the Liberal Democrats leader was able to focus upon delivering the party’s policies as opposed to being tied up in trying to address accusations levelled at him. The headlines of the vast majority of the newspapers today imply that during tonight’s televised debate the tables will have turned. The onslaught of slurs against Clegg and his party to be found emblazoning the front pages of tabloids and broadsheets alike not only show that both the Labour and Conservative parties now consider the Liberal Democrats to be a big enough threat as to warrant assaults in the press, but that the majority of the major newspapers are happy to do their bidding.

It is well known that most newspapers have a blatant political leaning or bias, with some publications noted for their Conservative leanings and others for their Labour support. There are however no major printed news outlets with a Liberal Democrats affiliation: this fact has never been more evident than today, when the slurs of the party and its leader have graced the prized spots of both the Labour and Conservative affiliated publications. From a political stance, this demonstrates that the Liberal Democrats are indeed becoming a formidable force, hence threat in the forthcoming elections. From the stance of the public in general it is further proof that the national press is far from objective and raises questions about the impartiality of our news sources.

What remains to be seen: and will be seen this evening, is just how much ammunition these slurs in today’s papers provide for David Cameron and Gordon Brown in tonight’s Prime Ministerial Debate. The media is a powerful force, is it being abused? Or simply used to provide an insight into all aspects of life from steadfast perspectives? Whatever your view, it all seems a little distant from the objectivity the media in general purports to extol.


Written by Jamie 'Rock' Lyons while he should have been writing about office supplies