December 9

I have woken up crabby. So this is a grumpy post.
First of all, I really am weary of our newspapers, which claim to ‘call authority to account’, pumping out material from Conservative Central Office. They are betraying their readers and will themselves be called to account when people stop buying. As they will.
And then I saw the Sun, with its Friday 13th nightmare splash, followed by a totally made-up scare story, courtesy of CCHQ. Can you imagine the paper running a story saying "An extra patient will die every day if the Tories are re-elected..." quoting Labour sources? Of course not.

Then there's the promised three-page "dossier of doom", compiled by "experts". I thought the country had had enough of experts?

And finally, after a Jungle spread, we have their top political columnist saying that Labour can't win. In other words, it's never going to happen. What was that term they coined during the referendum campaign. Oh yes, #projectfear

Back to my original gripe - about papers just printing whatever CCHQ says without any challenge or balance.
We have a Prime Minister promising to lead the country to a great and glorious future, to "unleash its potential", to make it the best place in the world to live. But first he has to win a general election.
So what is the best strategy?  To set out his stall to entice the voters?
Nah! Just say the other chap's nasty and will hurt you. And your "client" press will spread the word.

And look who's advocating this policy on the Telegraph's oped pages - Mr Nick Timothy, mastermind of Theresa May's glorious election victory in 2017.

I haven't finished yet!
Mr Johnson doesn't have time to be interviewed by Andrew Neil. But he could manage Phil and Holly. And supportive newspapers. Here are three from the past week. All "exclusive". All thrilled that the Prime Minister is deigning to talk to their readers and eager to pass on his every soundbite.

He also had time to dash off an article for The Sun on Saturday. Now I think he might have miscalculated there. The paper's football fans may *believe* he can deliver many things, but they *know* the World Cup is not in his gift.
But I ask again, is any of this rigorous, even-handed journalism?

But still, it was good to see the Times's Morten Morland take on this ghastly story earlier in the paper. Oh, sorry, I forgot. People who enrich our lives, keep our NHS and care homes going, pick our crops, change our hotel sheets, should forever know their place - as barely tolerated interlopers.

And finally, a little reassurance that there is good journalism out there. Please go out and buy the i paper. It alone has focused almost entirely on the issues rather than the personalities and the bile. And over the the past week has run splendid policy spreads.
Today's is on Brexit. It has also covered taxation, the environment, education and health.