Wikileaks - the truth kills?

In the 1960's the cause of the Vietnam War was undermined considerably by the on-the-spot television coverage of the devastation by American forces (and only scant mention of the Viet Cong reprisals).

Now the modern variation has emerged from the Internet. Many of the leaks are from past exchanges, but ones that still very much affect the present international climate, and the slightest indiscretion could tip the balance dangerously and wreak havoc with diplomacy

I'm all for getting (some of) this information out, but there are things that people say and things that people do. Spilling the beans like this may lead the one inexorably to result in the Other.

Mandelson and the Media

Hannah Rothchild's much-trumpted drama documentary Mandelson - the Real PM? (the double meaning of the title was lost on me until the first few minutes) was a rather mundane affair and actually rather poignant - if seen very much from Mandelson's enclosed perspective, with certain supporting characters in the drama rather underused, particularly Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, and there is next to no mention of the key player in the 2010 election, Nick Clegg.

What does come through is the visible terror of some of Mandelson's fellow advisors (and George Osborne), and a very deep antipathy with Alistair Campbell - which he, not Mandelson, openly expresses.

In truth, Mandelson manipulates Rothschild as much as everyone else in the Media. The final moment in the documentary when he asks her if she has any more questions, when clearly "the Mandelson fizz" has gone, is another way of manipulating the focus of interviews round to the interviewer rather than the interviewee.

By way of not complete contrast, I switched over to BBC1 later that evening and saw Alan Yentob's Imagine documentary featuring the shameless but rather endearing paparazzi Ron Galella. Shameless, and rather chauvinist in his pursuit of certain glamorous figures in the limelight, especially his obsession with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which escalated to illegal stalking.

In spite of his ceaseless lack of discretion, by sheer rule of numbers some of the photos are great moments, particularly the candid shot of Jackie walking in the street with her hair coming across her face (right). Unfortunately (for Jackie) no matter how many times Gallela snaps her, in whatever level of irritation or harassment, she always looks fabulous.

His argument (and that of other paparazzi) is that as far back as Ancient Egypt, the Egyptians were fascinated by the appearance of their Pharoah, and the public's fascination with stars is a continuation of that. It is this attitude that has led to the obsession with celebrity that the Media - not the public - retains to this day.

A revealing moment is when Galella mutters he would rather photograph Angelina Jolie (which he has, since her childhood) than the more prestigious but less photogenic Robert Redford, emphasising that looks, not status, are really at the heart of his shallow profession.