BBC College of Journalism Blog - A vigorous and robust discussion about journalism from every perspective.

Should journalists stop referring to the 'coalition government'? Is it now just, plain and simple, 'the government'?

The Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition emerged as a result of a hung parliament. The government is a coalition. Surely we should be referring to the government as 'the government' rather than adding the adjective 'coalition'.

Is using the term 'coalition government' insulting the intelligence of the audience or evidence of poor usage?

Here are some thoughts. They're not exhaustive. They're a starting point.

1.    According PoliticsDictionary.com - admittedly US based but with a number of definitions of political terms geared to a global audience - a coalition government is:

"a government in which no party has complete control and two or more parties agree to govern together"

... implying that there are occasions when defining the political make-up of the government is necessary.

2.    The last time there was a coalition government was during World War II. For the majority of the population, the present government is a new experience.

3.    The coalition is still in its early days. It's easy to forget how the business of reporting the coalition agreement has overshadowed the true schedule of government business. The general election was only on 6 May. The agreement reached only a few days later. The Queen's Speech was on Tuesday 25 May.  

4.    Given the relatively unusual nature and greater emphasis on transparency and accountability - especially post-expenses scandal - the term 'coalition government' underlines the 'new politics' inherent in the agreement between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. The term reminds journalists, readers, listeners and viewers that policy over the next five years is the result of a compromise, not a mandate.

5.    The relatively unusual foundations of the coalition government should remain in ongoing discussions about politics. Kevin Marsh has already referred to how the coalition might change the nature of reporting. By not referring to coalition are we in danger of establishing the idea laid out in front of the world's media in the garden at Downing Street that Conservative and Liberal Democrat are one and the same?

Put another way, is it in fact responsible journalism to keep referring to the label ascribed to government to underline its foundations?

6.    Going further ... should journalists actually continue referencing the government ministers they talk about in their reports - including in vision graphics and on-air announcements - to illustrate how ideologies differ within a coalition government?