I read tonights JEP and the article from Carolyn Labey, my first reaction was what a load of PR Spin, but let me disect it a little.
http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/04/22/syvret-raid-i-felt-violated/DEPUTY Carolyn Labey has attacked the States police for raiding her home during the arrest of Senator Stuart Syvret.
She says that it was unlawful and unnecessary. In a strongly worded statement, the Deputy said that she felt violated by the search and added that her elderly mother had found the raid more hostile than the Blitz.
The Deputy’s criticism comes just weeks after States police arrested Senator Syvret on suspicion of data protection offences and searched the house in Grouville which he shares with his partner, Deputy Labey (pictured). Senator Syvret was released later that day, pending further inquiries.
Deputy Labey, who was on holiday abroad with her children at the time of the raid, condemned the police action as over the top. She said: ‘I struggle to find words for the shock, upset and sense of violation felt by my family and myself at what has happened.’
The full report goes on to say that the elderley mother doesn't even live in the house and lives next door, but decided to nosey on round and see what was happening, but I digress from the disection.
points.
1) Carolyn Labey was not in Jersey but was on holiday outside of the Island with her children.
2) The elderley mother was not targeted by the police, but came round to the house from her house next door to see what was happening.
3) going through the Blitz was a life changing event for everyone that took part, speaking to 6 coppers is hardly worth the quote "
and added that her elderly mother had found the raid more hostile than the Blitz"
4) I thought St Stuart was an ordinary Joe Bloggs who lived frugally in a flat, not in a house 99% of us couldn't even dream of purchasing and with a "partner" worth multiple millions
what we have here is a PR response from Ms Labey to try to make people feel sorry for St Stuart. Firstly linking in the blitz is a way to try to put over a picture of harsh and difficult times. It links the story and therefore the personal response to the story to something that people felt deeply about. This is page one of the "idiots guide to spin doctoring"
Linking in the old poor mother is page 2 of this guide as it links the two areas together, the blitz and the police searching a house and also adds the "frail poor needs protecting" person into the aspect of the story.
The other parts have been written using a good deal of "power words" from the spin doctor dictionary. One rhetorical device that relies on power words is anaphora-the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. We see this throughout the JEP article, though not as much in the online edition which shows repeated use of the words "violation, Violated" as well as "Blitz".
I am sure as eggs are eggs that Ms Labey did not write this on her own. A great deal of thought has gone into how to to make this appeal to the easily led and those that do not understand how spin doctors work. It has been written explicitly to produce a feeling of support and revulsion at the actions described, and it has been done very very well. whoever wrote it should be producing their own spin doctor books.
