Is The Flack-Hackery Killing Us?

WhatWeSelf
CensorVille


I've long thought that one of the biggest reasons so many important political stories that should be written never are is because of the 'Evils of Access'.

In other words, many in the puffed-up pro-punditry are loathe to go after the people today who are most likely to feed them their stories tomorrow.

And then, a few days ago, Sean Holman wrote about a different aspect of proMedia self-censorship.

Which is the possibility that many in the proMedia these days may avoid certain stories because they are looking to locate a safe-landing amongst the flack-hackery as more and more members of the former lose their jobs as the ranks of the latter swell.

So.

Just how fluid is the flack-hackery these days anyway?

Well.

To hear the New York Times' Eric Lipton tell Terry Gross, at least half of the corporate flack-hackery lobbying the American government these days are actually former government flacks 'n staffers.

And I doubt it is any different up here in the country formerly known as Canuckistan.

With, presumably, much of the other half of the flack-hackery coming from the proMedia ranks.

Mr. Lipton also said something else which drives home the point as to why the 'Evils of Access' matters so much to all concerned, which is the following:

"A story in the newspaper is much more valuable (to the flack-hackery) than a press release"

Who knew?


.