“All my opponents do is rant, while I provide careful analysis.” Detect any spin in that statement? Spin is an attempt to stress a conclusion through selective use of words or topics. A part of spin is leaving out relevant facts, but another part is choosing descriptive words that support the desired conclusion.

The following table helps in understanding the art of spinning through word choice:

……..negative…… …….neutral…… …….positive…….
forced to admit stated freely acknowledged
rant statement analysis
conspired conferred coordinated
forced to agree agreed compromised
lie mistake slip up
greedy capitalist executive industry leader
bleeding heart sympathetic compassionate
never proven safe inconclusive never proven harmful
overpriced expensive highly valued
unsubstantiated asserted undenied
leftist liberal progressive
reactionary conservative time-honored
unbridled libertarian free
dogma beliefs values
authoritarian regulated disciplined
cross examining questioning inquiring
demanded asked inquired
ridiculous questionable controversial
fresh new naive
rationalized responded refuted

The spinning art strings together the appropriate words to achieve full effect:

Senator Smith ranted leftist dogma on education. Senator Jones refuted him with an analysis in terms of time-honored values.

versus

Senator Smith offered a progressive analysis of education policy. In response, Senator Jones rationalized his reactionary ideology.

Neutral descriptions tend to be dull in comparison with spun versions, so there is a tendency for storytellers to spin to add drama. The neutral

Senator Smith spoke on education policy from a liberal perspective, after which Senator Jones presented the conservative viewpoint.

reports the event, but is unlikely to excite either side. Excited readers are more likely to come back for more. One might argue that what Smith said really was a rant, or what Jones said really was reactionary — or perhaps both sides would be aptly described by language more colorful than bland neutrality. If so, the writer needs to be prepared to defend the word choice. For example, one might think “A rant is long list of extreme conclusions not supported to cited evidence of their truth, and that is just what Senator Smith did.” The case is helped by direct quotations from the speakers in the context of the event. The best writers use vivid descriptive language, but they do so with accuracy.

The reader has a job to do in parsing spin. In the old Soviet Union, readers could understand that a Pravda story about crop failures due bad weather probably implied that there was more going on that bad weather alone. The reader’s job is to subtract the spin from message. Sometimes there is useful information cloaked within, but other times it all disappears.