Calling spin by its proper name

There was a time when propaganda was used to carry one’s message. Unfortunately, Josef Goebbels of Nazi Germany gave a bad overtone to this word because he distorted the truth in propagating his party’s ideas. Today, letter and opinion writers prefer...

There was a time when propaganda was used to carry one’s message. Unfortunately, Josef Goebbels of Nazi Germany gave a bad overtone to this word because he distorted the truth in propagating his party’s ideas.

Today, letter and opinion writers prefer to use the word ‘spin’, which, because of its connection with ‘twisting’ and ‘yarn’, also conveys the idea of falsehood or twisting the truth.

I notice that this word is never used for the side that the writer wants to promote while similar activity by the other side is inevitably always described as ‘spin’.

Are such opinion writers not guilty of spin themselves?

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