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Editor's NotebookPoliticians: Return Thy Phone Calls |
| December 12, 2007 A local politician who shall remain nameless (for now) irked our newsroom to no end over the past week, refusing to return multiple phone calls placed by our own Kristen Armstrong. Explain to me how any politician can be so dumb as to stiff a reporter? It's also lazy and arrogant, but perhaps dumb is the best way to describe it. Refusing to be communicative with the press pretty much guarantees that a political leader will get knifed by the media at the first opportunity. Is that fair? Maybe not. But it's human nature. The smart politicians (or politicians-in-training) know that keeping the press informed of your plans, and having a willingness to talk when the coverage is going to be good or be bad, is the smart way to go. It's strike one for this politician. The way I play the game, it's two strikes and you're out. (Feel free to send your guesses as to which politician we're talking about.) |