Who Are "spin Doctors" And What Function Do They Fill?

Despite the title, a "spin doctor" has nothing to do with medicine, rather he or she is someone hired by a politician or a political party in order to doctor the 'truth.' Spin doctors are especially important during election campaigns, when each candidate must be able to "spin" prickly social, political and economic issues, as well as reality in general, in order to best suit their political, partisan aspirations.

Most spin doctors have excellent public relations skills and are good communicators. They must also have a strong partisan streak. These three characteristics are necessary for anyone aspiring to fulfil this role in politics, as appearing on television, providing sound- bites to the media and helping counter attacks from opposing politicians is a major part of the job.

The use of spin doctors first began in the US during the 1970s and 1980s. Bill Clinton relied heavily on several during the 1990s. Since then, however, they have become important cogs in the political machine throughout Europe and even Latin America. In some cases, such as in Argentina, candidates have actually hired American spin doctors to come "spin" their campaign messages.

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