the kicker

Which Comes First: The Spin or The Spun?

Howard Kurtz visits the spin room/media tent after Friday’s presidential debate and gets this mind-boggling quote: “The spin is something we should pay less attention to, but it’s important because it can change the story line,” says NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. And the one (attention paid by reporters) clearly has nothing to do with the other […]

September 29, 2008

Howard Kurtz visits the spin room/media tent after Friday’s presidential debate and gets this mind-boggling quote:

“The spin is something we should pay less attention to, but it’s important because it can change the story line,” says NBC’s Andrea Mitchell.

And the one (attention paid by reporters) clearly has nothing to do with the other (perceived importance and ability to change the story line).

How does spin do it?

Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.