Former journalist, Rowland spokesman, and MJC colleague, Dean Pagani has penned a rebuttal to QU Professor Ben Bogardus’ op-ed “Stop the Newsroom to Government Revolving Door.” Pagani’s articulate takedown argues, among other things, that today’s consumers of news are far more aware of the need to consider sources, judge information on the merits and sniff out the lisawexler.com spin. Therefore, a journalist going to the other side does nothing to confirm the “liberal bias” in the news media because dishonesty – whether by journalists or by government spokespeople – will be found out and called out, swiftly.
As a former government communications professional, who came to that career not from the world of journalism, I do take issue with my friend Dean’s argument that journalists-turned-spokespeople have more deference for the facts than do spokespeople who started in the political world. Nothing (should) mean more to a spokesperson, regardless of his/her background, than their reputation and that of their boss, and nothing destroys a reputation quicker than spinning or lying to the press and the public.
