Abstract
Demonised ‘spin’ is a derogatory form of news discourse where journalists pose as heroic fighters against manipulative politicians and their staffs on behalf of a gullible public. It is underpinned by a bad faith model of politics and a severely blinkered view of political reality. In fact, journalists themselves are manipulative, collaboratively engaged with their sources, and divided about the size of the problem, with more performance-oriented broadcasters being the most rabid demonisers. In New Zealand, where the real offence is slight, metaspin represents a form of ‘laddish’ anti-authoritarian theatre which privatises communicative action.
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