I have to admit that I do enjoy watching political programmes. I have a habit of reading my twitter feed 2 or 3 times on weekdays and mirroring that with a flick through my Facebook Feed too.

What has been noticeable, particularly since the European Referendum in June 2016, is that there has been a quantum shift away from news content which was actually focused on news. Even sources once respected are now firmly biased towards opinion as the key part of their content in a wholly comprehensive way.

Yes, news has always had opinion as a strong and often influential element. Thats why we have newspapers recognised as being left, liberal or right wing, and therefore being of greatest appeal to the people or readers who political feel those areas are where their allegiances belong.

But already have experienced what may continue to be a cultural shift way from people being asked to answer questions about a subject, simply because that subject is something that they have very specific experience of or are perhaps academically qualified to talk about.

Those who once had real-life or academic experience at the very least have been replaced by a range of speakers. Some of these are even journalists themselves. All have become the go-to interviewees and public speakers, modelled as the people to got to who can explain everything going on – often within areas of life where they themselves are little more than spectators.

In the right place at the right time or so it would seem. It’s just the case that they have found themselves in jobs where they are paid to create engaging comment and little more.

There is no comfort in making comparisons between what is supposed to be quality news mediums and a trip down the pub. But the near farcical reality is that with the way that opinion is now being presented as fact by almost every outlet in every way, we really would get better value from having a beer or wine fuelled chat about everything down at the local with people who are out in the world and living real lives.

At least there we can give speakers the benefit of the doubt from there being alcohol involved, rather than being otherwise fooled into thinking that because we are hearing this noise on TV, reading it in a paper or on a social media feed, we are wrong about the interpretations of the experiences that we have and that these opinionators represent the real views of the public and the majority of people.

If you sneezed this week, you may have missed Labour’s Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell announcing that an incoming Labour government will make it mandatory for companies with 250 employees or more to have shared ownership of the business.

Businesses are not started with job creation in mind. Businesses are established to provide products and services.

The creation of jobs is just one positive consequence of a process which is driven by exploiting opportunity. An entrepreneurially driven process which for most has little to do with inclusivity, a sense of community or any conscious aim of creating future opportunities of any kind.

It simply doesn’t matter how socially attuned or in possession of an alternative truth that political leaders may imagine themselves to be. That’s the way that commercially viable business works and the principle which underpins the forward-looking economic success of any Country.

The role of Government is to create the environment in which businesses can thrive. The circumstances in which commerce can deliver positive consequences for all and to therefore be of benefit to everyone as a whole. It is not the role of politicians to micromanage business governance in a way which will then inevitably dictate how a company strategy, direction and therefore viability is determined.

 

image thanks to Reuters / http://www.dailymail.co.uk