In the Shadows: How Campaigners Shift the Debate

Damian Collins MP | Issue 3 | Comment, Lobbying, Magazine

From the Archive

Steve Bannon Campaign Hashtag Digital
Steve Bannon talks to media during the 'Sovereignism v Europeanism' in Rome. (Photo by Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Getty Images)

Damian Collins MP explains how digital campaigns alter our perceptions of the news

[dc]A[/dc]Andy Reid, the head coach of the NFL Super Bowl reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, likes to ‘flood the zone’ in his offensive plays, sending more runners into an area of the field than the defenders can cover. This makes man to man marking impossible and creates doubt and confusion over the exact move the attackers intend to make. Like many sporting terms it’s found a home in politics, in particular thanks to Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon. In 2018 he was reported as observing that, “The Democrats don’t matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.” We see this strategy in play in the US with the constant drum beat of attacks on the ‘mainstream media’, where the term ‘fake news’ is used against stories Donald Trump doesn’t like, regardless of whether they are true or not. The President’s own remarks can also be a source of confusion, for example in September he tweeted at voters in North Carolin...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



The Economic Paradox: Can Britain Afford to Penalise Parenthood?

Robert Richardson | September 8, 2026

In an exclusive op-ed for Mace, hospitality industry leader Robert Richardson sets out why the sector must do more to become accessible to young families.

Leader in Public Affairs: Ros Morgan, Chief Executive, Heart of London Business Alliance, “Build a strong, proud and open culture where everyone has a voice”

Mace | September 8, 2026

After two decades spent in advocacy on behalf of business, Ros reveals what parts of the industry she believes needs reform.

The Politics of Power 

Simon Francis | September 7, 2026

End Fuel Poverty Coalition coordinator Simon Francis examines the four stories politicians hear about electricity and gas, and argues that the fight over which story shapes the agenda

A “little local difficulty” – Gawain Towler’s Reform Conference Diary

Mace Magazine | September 5, 2026

Seasoned Farage aide-de-camp Gawain Towler reflects on Reform's first ever Business Day at the NEC - and what it's like when a media grenade goes off during the

Farmers have suffered enough this summer — it’s time the government got on side

John Cooper | August 27, 2026

Britain’s farmers have battled repeated heatwaves and droughts, but MP John Cooper says the government’s Family Farm Tax is piling further pressure on an industry that desperately needs

It’s not a popularity contest: The case for protecting Meghan and Harry 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | August 25, 2026

You don’t have to like the Sussexes to believe the government has a duty to protect them.

Is money a factor behind Prince Harry’s move back to the UK?

Mace | August 21, 2026

Is there a connection between Prince Harry's share of a £34 million legal bill and his sudden move back to the UK? The Mace follows the money.

Are Meghan and Harry about to undergo a PR makeover?  

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | August 20, 2026

Could the Sussexes’ shock UK return finally bring peace with the royals - and the British press?

The Mace Questionnaire: Marshall Manson, CEO, FleishmanHillard UK – “Politics is seeping into business through every crack” 

Mace Magazine | August 12, 2026

The innovative digital comms veteran Marshall Manson, now CEO of FleishmanHillard UK, reveals how he misses The West Wing, was introduced to Westminster by Gyles Brandeth's political diaries

The Strategist: Michael Prescott, Managing Director, Hanover – “Better to risk being the most overdressed person in the room than the scruffiest” 

Mace | August 11, 2026

From political editor of The Sunday Times to bringing down two BBC chiefs, Michael Prescott reflects on his distinguished career as a journalist and now leading UK corporate