The Sun's election guide is a childish hub of anti-Labour propaganda
‘Britain’s best-selling newspaper’ the Sun has launched a free website to guide its readers through the general election campaign.
Not surprisingly, given the paper’s biased political coverage, the Sun Nation website is a patronising hub of anti-Labour propaganda.
Today’s print edition of the paper, which sells to around 3million people every day, encouraged readers to “check out our fantastic new election site”, which it says will feature “top video exclusives, fun games and quizzes, and hot issues of the day”.
As Sun editor David Dinsmore says:
“Sun Nation is an exciting new project for the Sun that offers us the chance to bring the paper’s witty and irreverent take on UK politics to a wider audience ahead of the general election. […]
“We’re confident that Sun Nation will become essential reading for everybody interested in the outcome of May’s big vote.”
So, what do we find on the website that bills itself as “politics without the boring bits”?
Well, we have a quiz called ‘Balls or Bollocks?’, where readers can guess if a wacky quote from Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls is true or made up by the Sun. Each ‘quote’ comes with a picture of Balls pulling a silly face. What japes! The quiz is introduced with the suggestion the shadow chancellor ‘ballsed up’ the economy during Gordon Brown’s government.
And then there’s ‘Macho Mili? No chance!’, a Buzzfeed-style string of 20 pictures and videos of Labour leader Ed Miliband looking silly. Five of them feature a bacon sandwich.
How ‘witty’ all this is I’ll leave to readers to decide. But ‘irreverent’ it most certainly ain’t – at least, not when it comes to the Tory party.
The website’s homepage has a charming story about Boris Johnson’s dad saying he should be Prime Minister. There’s a long video diary with David Cameron: “Cam Cam: See life through PM’s eyes in our World Exclusive video”.
There’s even ‘five reasons’ why Cameron shouldn’t debate with Ed Miliband or anyone else. (‘Five reasons why Cam is mad to do even one debate’.) And then, if your stomach can take it, you can read why Katie Hopkins would like to marry the Tory Prime Minister.
What you won’t find is the same level of ridicule and hostility being applied to the Conservatives, or anything positive about Labour. As its editor says, the Sun plainly hopes to influence a ‘wider audience’ using these pathetic online tactics. This is politics without the serious bits – and without the journalism that informs a reading public.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
23 Responses to “Media Watch: Sun newspaper launches biased election website to mock Labour”
CGR
Well done The Sun !!!
Matthew Blott
Yeah, it’s great a foreign owned media empire is using everything at its disposal to affect a UK election.
Ivan_Denisovich
I only scored 6 out of 10 on the Balls game. I mostly erred in favour of Ed being reasonable and having a sense of humour. To my dismay, It cost me points.
There are few people in the UK more sexist than Harman. I have the greatest admiration for anyone who makes fun of her and it is the minority who take her seriously who worry me.
The Tories are pretty target rich when it comes to figures of fun so I am sure that the Mirror could be persuaded to reciprocate. That rag is hardly above such behaviour.
The credibility of and support for both major parties are in terminal decline and we must hope that something worthwhile emerges from the ashes. Until then, making fun of them is about all that keeps the majority of us sane.
wj
Oh, please – are we going to ban all other newspapers selling alternative party lines?
Ken Bell
I got 8/10 for Balls and 9/10 for deciding if a given set of knockers belonged to Karen Danczuk or some other Z-lister.
This is where the modern left goes wrong. It fails to realise that most people are not political anoraks, and have better things to do with their lives that debate the issues along lines set out by people like the writer of this piece.