Burnt By The Sun?

hello World

In the latest edition of PR Week Danny Rogers discusses the controversy over Gordon Brown's alleged disrespect to the bereaved mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan. He questions whether the coverage in the Sun has backfired on the paper with public opinion seeming to favour the Prime Minister.

Recently Gordon Brown's public image seems to be at rock bottom - everything he touches seems to turn to dross - is that a true reflection of a PM and Party limping to expected defeat in next year's General Election - or has the Press just decided to curry favour with the Tory Party by taking an anti-Labour stance? The reaction in favour of Gordon Brown over the Sun's coverage of this storyis one of the few instances recently where Gordon Brown has gathered public support. The facts of the story would have revealed to the public that he writes to the families of all the soldiers killed - which they would not have known without the controversy -and the additional detail that he has bad handwriting and can't spell surely makes him appear normal! Gordon Brown's handling of this however did seem unusually defensive - perhaps there is nothing to be gained by taking an aggressive approach to a bereaved mother - best to eat humble pie. So overall this controversy actually appears to have helped Gordon Brown's public image by humanizing him more.