Public affairs experts divided on Alastair Campbell's interview on Andrew Marr show

Gemma O'Reilly, prweek.com, 08 February 2010, 10:10am

Public affairs experts are split over Alastair Campbell's emotional appearance on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show yesterday.

Former Tony Blair comms director: Alastair Campbell

Tony Blair's former communications director broke down on live television during his interview with Marr and struggled to contain his emotions when questioned over the Iraq war.

Campbell appeared before the Iraq war inquiry last month.

Wolfstar managing director Stuart Bruce said: ‘Alastair did a great interview. He was raw and authentic and it obviously came from the heart and was genuine. It's little wonder that Alastair became upset after Marr's glib introduction and jibe about "works of fiction" linking the new novel to the dossier.'

Mandate Communications chief executive Sacha Deshmukh added: ‘I think Alastair's appearance was real. He has always been a high emotion kind of guy. But I don't think that anyone expects it to get him or Tony Blair any real sympathy. Iraq is now a debate that is so polarised that the most extreme views have trouble recognising any legitimacy in the other side's arguments.'

However, Weber Shandwick chairman of corporate communications and public affairs Jon McLeod was less convinced. ‘Alastair has made the news by being the opposite of what people have always supposed him to be, namely a remorseless, stone-faced spinmeister. Does anyone genuinely cry on TV? Proabably only on The X Factor. Was it deliberate? It wasn't an accident. Was it a PR stunt? No, just an opportunity well taken.'

Fleishman Hillard head of corporate communications David Hart said Campbell served as a reminder to communicators to support clients and not become the story themselves.

All Comments

Martin Ballantine - 08 February 2010

Oh come on, it was a genuine moment. At the risk of confusing reality with fiction \(or vice versa?), he's NOT Malcolm Tucker! No, really, he's not.

David Brown - 08 February 2010

It's not surprising that many people feel disgusted or cynical about Alastair Campbell's TV tears.

Let's remember they were shed not for the thousands of the deaths caused by Iraq War or his relentless hounding of Dr David Kelly. They came at a time when Andrew Marr had him on the ropes about the non-existent WMDs and the patchy intelligence about their existence. These are crucial matters and formed the basis of the case for war and they still haven't been answered, despite his and Blair's protestations,

At best, this was nauseating self-pity, at worst a cynical ploy for sympathy. Perhaps media trainers should now be building the "Campbell tactic" into their client programmes? When in trouble during an interview, just remember: blub like a baby.

Benjamin Ball - 08 February 2010

Genuine? Really?

It seems like too much of a coincidence that Gordon Brown \(coached by Mr Campbell) sheds tears on Friday; Alastair on Sunday.

Well orchestrated yes. Genuine? No.

Martin Ballantine - 08 February 2010

The fact that it'd be so blinking obvious if it was true kinda knocks the conspiracy theory on the head...I'm no war-apologist, but this for me was 100% real.

Danny Rogers - 08 February 2010

I must say I was watching it live, and thought AC was genuinely about to abandon the interview. If it was orchestrated - which I doubt - then it was at Berlin Philharmonic level.

Paul Wooding - 09 February 2010

The question of whether it was real or not is a moot point as far as I'm concerned.

David Brown's comment nails it for me; these weren't tears for the soliders and civilians killed based on apalling evidence which was - at best - hopelessly interpreted - or at worst deliberately spun to argue the case for war.

These were tears for the stresses and burden he feels. Well tough shit. Really, seriously, tough shit. He should have had the good grace to man up to Marr's questions rather than come across all X-Factor, whether it was real or not.

There are parents, brother, sisters, wives and husbands both here and in the Middle East who have shown a lot more humility and diginity regarding their own part in the war. Campbell should remember that next time he decides to share his pain on the part he played in taking the country illegally to war.

James O'Keefe - 09 February 2010

Jon McLeod is surely having a bit of a laugh with us: 1. does AC strike you as a turn on the tears type; 2. What does he really gain by doing it, zilch; 3. Marr does perhaps have his own private agenda which may lead him to go too far with his choice of words