Spinmeisters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Professional handlers who put a favorable slant on news, events or a politician's image to shape how the public perceives them
2. Skilled publicists and advisers who twist information to make a person, party or organization look better than the facts suggest
3. Operatives who specialize in presenting events in a flattering light, controlling the message delivered to journalists and voters

Etymology: Spinmeisters are people who put a favourable gloss on events that would otherwise look bad, and the word is built from two pieces that came together in modern English. "Spin" in this sense is the noun for that favourable comment or interpretation, meant to steer public opinion about an unpleasant situation. The second piece, "-meister," is a German-derived element meaning "master," borrowed into English as a suffix for someone skilled at or in charge of a particular activity. The word is a close relative of "spinmaster," which means the same thing and was formed the same way. The two forms are a doublet pair: two versions of one word that arrived by slightly different routes, with the "-meister" version taking its ending from German rather than English.

Synonyms: spin doctor