How to Get to the Beltway
A journalist's guide in four stages.
Stage 1: The young, dedicated, idealistic reporter investigates a story about worker abuse at a power plant. A power plant that happens to be a be a big advertiser in his newspaper. He takes this excellent piece of work to his editor, and his editor acknowledges the fine work, but after a minute of false reflection, the editor tells the young reporter that the paper cannot run the story.
Stage 2: The young, dedicated reporter comes up with a great idea for a story, but runs it by his editor before chasing it down. Again the editor, noting that the likely tone of the story won't reflect well on local business, tells the young reporter that he's sorry, but tells him to forget about it. The paper can't run that kind of story.
Stage 3: Finds our young reporter getring another great idea for a story. He tonelessly dismisses it himself, knowing that it's unlikely that his paper will run it.
Stage 4: He no longer gets any ideas. He no longer looks critically at these types of issues.
This reporter is now ready for duty as a Beltway reporter :)
I heard a variation of this some time ago. I'd give it an attribution, but I cannot recall who said something relatively close.
Stage 1: The young, dedicated, idealistic reporter investigates a story about worker abuse at a power plant. A power plant that happens to be a be a big advertiser in his newspaper. He takes this excellent piece of work to his editor, and his editor acknowledges the fine work, but after a minute of false reflection, the editor tells the young reporter that the paper cannot run the story.
Stage 2: The young, dedicated reporter comes up with a great idea for a story, but runs it by his editor before chasing it down. Again the editor, noting that the likely tone of the story won't reflect well on local business, tells the young reporter that he's sorry, but tells him to forget about it. The paper can't run that kind of story.
Stage 3: Finds our young reporter getring another great idea for a story. He tonelessly dismisses it himself, knowing that it's unlikely that his paper will run it.
Stage 4: He no longer gets any ideas. He no longer looks critically at these types of issues.
This reporter is now ready for duty as a Beltway reporter :)
I heard a variation of this some time ago. I'd give it an attribution, but I cannot recall who said something relatively close.
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