What is it about this election? It’s shining a light on more and more of the Powers-That-Be and their magic circle.

The media are abuzz with the story of how James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks/Wade stormed The Independent‘s offices uninvited after a meeting at the Daily Mail, berating editor Simon Kelner for taking on the Murdoch empire’s unaccountable political influence.

Today the Indy blares of its own new proprietor, “Lebedev won’t decide these elections. You will”. And without announcing it, they’ve also changed their relaunch video – “The truth about the general election” – in one very significant way since the Murdoch-Kelner showdown. Here’s the new version:

Spot the difference?

That’s right – they’ve added a criticism of the Liberal Democrats (for taking money from an arms dealer) to their earlier challenges to Murdoch, Ashcroft, Unite and the City.

(UPDATE: Looking at the vids side by side, it’s clear they’ve also changed the default image, funnily enough to highlight the phrase “Rupert Murdoch controls 40% of the press in Britain”.)

What’s it all about? Like anyone smart, the Indy are thinking on the hop as the wave of change grows right now. People have been speculating about where precisely their aggressive relaunch fits into the landscape of the Citizens’ Campaign stirring in the country. Some thought they would openly endorse the Lib Dems. Perhaps the odds on that weakened after Murdoch’s henchmen stormed Indy HQ.

But they’re not laying down their own arms in surrender to the establishment. Today the Indy calls out The Sun for suppressing its own poll showing more public support for the Lib Dems in government.

I predict more fireworks in the normally-cosy Fleet Street. The proprietors’ non-aggression pact has concealed their murky influence for too long.

Could The Independent tap the mood of the country, challenge the Tory tabloid press and endorse a reforming parliament with no overall majority? If so, that and their free paper strategy could catapault them into a newly interesting – and influential – position.

In any event, their focus on the unaccountable Powers-that-Be, rather than simply on the parties, is fresh, clarifying and important.

I for one am delighted about these shenanigans. Which doesn’t mean we should give Lebedev and Kelner a free pass. From now on, accountability for all.

(Here is the old version of the Indy video, sans Lib Dem arms dealer:)

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

2. Max

   RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

3. Paris Gourtsoyannis

   RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

4. Greg Eden

   RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

5. Bertie Deane

   Liberal Conspiracy » The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/9HhXu7

6. Hobhouse

   RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

7. Hobhouse

   @theindynews @michaelwolffnyc Indy adds Lib Dem criticism to Truth video post-Murdoch invasion – plus fightback vs Sun http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

8. Ryan Bestford

   The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg – http://bit.ly/cNu7XY (via @LibCon)

9. Juliet

   RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

10. Gareth Winchester

    RT @libcon #theindependent tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt #media @the_sun_lies #thesun #ge2010 #ukelection

11. The Sun-Tabloid Lies

    RT @dnotice: RT @libcon #theindependent tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt #media #thesun #ge2010 #ukelection

12. Marcus Hickman

    RT @libcon The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt

13. Thomas Rado

    Indy Election Vid: http://bit.ly/9s5Thz … Lib Dems and the amrs trade? really?

14. damopk1

    RT @pickledpolitics: Interesting… RT @libcon The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt

15. Jaime Campbell

    Loving the new ad for The Independent relaunch – http://tinyurl.com/2w9hslj – very succinct

16. sally mumby-croft

    RTpickledpolitics
    Interesting… RT @libcon The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt

17. andrew

    Liberal Conspiracy » The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch …: Liberal Conspiracy » The Indy tweaks “Truth” v… http://bit.ly/a0VwDa

18. Dan Lee

    RT @libcon: Indy tweaks 'Truth' vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/ah4FAD

19. Thomas O Smith

    RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

20. uberVU - social comments

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by libcon: The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R...

21. Hobhouse

    @theindynews @michaelwolff Indy adds critique of Lib Dems to its Truth video after Murdoch blitzkrieg: http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

22. Hobhouse

    Hobhouse Hobhouse2010

    @theindynews @michaelwolffnyc Indy adds Lib Dem crit to Truth video post-Murdoch invasion: http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

23. Sam Coates

    http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/04/23/the-indy-tweaks-truth-vid-after-murdoch-invasion/

24. jimbobthomas

    RT @libcon: The Indy tweaks "Truth" vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/aiIJ7R

25. Imran Khan

    RT @the_sun_lies: RT @dnotice: RT @libcon #theindependent tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt #media #thesun #ge2010 #ukelection

26. sunny hundal

    Interesting… RT @libcon The Indy tweaks “Truth” vid after Murdoch blitzkrieg http://bit.ly/c4VHZt

27. National Not Voting Conservative Day « Ten Percent

    [...] sort of love the story of Rebekah and James running around the Mail & Indy offices enforcing omertà. In a contest of lesser evils we can all agree the one outcome to be [...]

28. Gordon Kennedy

    http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/04/23/the-indy-tweaks-truth-vid-after-murdoch-invasion/ Nice video

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