Jason Koutsoukis, writing in today’s Sunday Age, explains how the Liberal Party campaign machine last week successfully manipulated the media in order to take control of John Howard’s sorry/apology semantics debacle.

The trouble over saying sorry started on Thursday when Howard was asked why, if he was not responsible for the interest rate rise, he was apologising for it. “Well, I said I was sorry they’d occurred. I don’t think I actually used the word ‘apology’. I think there is a difference between the two things.”

Watching the disaster unfold, the Liberal Party’s campaign director Brian Loughnane hit the roof.

Too late to stop the “sorry” saga from dominating the 6pm news bulletins, Howard’s office went into damage control mode and bundled the press pack travelling with the PM onto their chartered jet for Sydney.

With all the experienced hands out of the way, the PM’s office then tipped off the ABC and the Herald Sun newspaper to rush a couple of journalists up to 4 Treasury Place and wait for Howard to appear.

Only one question was allowed at this doorstop “interview” and Howard answered it by accusing the Labor Party of playing word games.

Journalists from The Age (and from other media outlets, I’m sure) have been bitching and moaning endlessly during the campaign about how the media packs travelling with Howard and Kevin Rudd are treated. I mean, how are these fiercely independent and hard-working journalists supposed to file reports from the election frontline if the Liberal and Labor Parties don’t ferry them around and drive them to events in luxury? Especially when dastardly campaign teams manipulate journalists’ movements to maximise their party’s advantage.

Maybe instead of sitting back and allowing themselves to be spoonfed information, those press release-regurgitating cyborgs could go out and do some, you know, journalism. Might require the hire of a car or the booking of a plane ticket without the assistance of the Liberal Party, but it’s just a thought.