The only thing politicians fear is the media. If they own the media, they have nothing to fear. 

This is the political staple for those who seek high office, whether they inhabit peaceful backwaters at the fringes of the world, or battle it out on the fractious European continent. The degree of control these politicians are able to exert over the press varies wildly. 

Australia’s ex-useless prime minister Kevin Rudd had to work his butt off for a headline, flirting with a mixture of competing state and private media outlets for tepid support.