Hmmm

[drplokta]

The new Bank of England inflation report is out.

Guardian headline: "Bank of England governor dampens hopes of swift UK recovery"

Times headline: "Bank of England talks up hopes of strong recovery"

(The Times seems nearer the mark; the report increases the GDP and inflation forecasts. I think the Guardian made the mistake of listening to Mervyn King's spin rather than actually reading the report.)

Comments

[andrewducker]

Seems to me that both headlines are correct - as one of them talks about the governor and one of them talks about the bank itself (as personified, one assumes, by the report).

Seems a tad unreasonable to refer to the governor's interpretation of the figures as "spin" - he just seems to be trying to stop people getting all excitable by taking the figures out of context.

[drplokta]

But that's exactly what spin is; he wants people to use his own interpretation of the available information.

[andrewducker]

I've only really heard spin used when referring to deceptive, disingenious or highly manipulative tactics, not just giving your interpretation of the facts. Making any kind of opinion spin seems a little OTT.

[andrewducker]

Although, of course, there's a difference between the original phrase "putting his spin on things" and the modern "spin", although the two are obviously related. If you meant the former then I take it all back :->