Spinmaster

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who controls the public image of a politician or organization by shaping how news is presented ; a skilled performer who keeps a spinning object in motion with precise handling
2. Someone hired to frame information favorably for the press and public ; an expert at making a spinning toy or device turn with remarkable control
3. A professional who orchestrates favorable media messaging for clients ; a practiced hand who keeps a top or similar object whirling through deft technique

Etymology: "Spinmaster" is a plain compound: "spin" joined to "master," with the sense of someone who controls how events are presented to the public. The "spin" half carries the figurative meaning of putting a favorable slant on information, a sense that developed in political and media circles, while "master" retains its older sense of one who is skilled at or in charge of something, as in "ringmaster" or "headmaster." The word is a doublet of "spinmeister," a near-synonym formed from "spin" with the German-derived suffix "-meister," which has the same meaning as "master." The two words are therefore essentially the same construction in two forms, one English and one borrowed from German. The English form is the more common of the pair.

Synonyms: spin doctor