But They’re Utterly Balanced Up Til Then, Right?

The WaPo writes about a colleague’s job change:

Senior Producer Sasha Johnson announced Monday she’s leaving journalism to serve as press secretary at the Department of Transportation, meaning yet another member of the Fourth Estate has left to join the Obama administration

Isolated jump? As the artcle notes, hardly. The WaPo piece notes the large number of reporters who’ve taken jobs in the Obama administration.

It’s not just in DC, of course; reporters in the Twin Cities have long found jobs waiting for them with left-leaning governments and pols. A very partial list; my old colleague Karen Louise Booth jumped from being MPR’s Capitol Bureau chief to being head of communications for the DFL. Brian Lambert left the Pioneer Press to work for Senator “Brave Sir” Mark Dayton. A scan of spokespeople for any variety of local DFL pols shows a who’s who of former producers, reporters and executives.

Indeed, it’d be interesting to start a list of our own. Other examples, if you know ’em? Put ’em in the comments!

Posted

May 7, 2009

Media, Minnesota Politics

Mitch Berg

Tags:

Brian Lambert

Comments

8 responses to “But They’re Utterly Balanced Up Til Then, Right?”

Mr. D

May 7, 2009

Two I can think of right off the top of my head:

Lisa Kiava used to work for WCCO-TV, now at Hennepin County.

On the flip side, Tom Steward was a reporter various places, then worked for Norm Coleman.
Chuck

May 7, 2009

I have a big one. The Star-Tribune staff is working for Obama and Biden.
Bill Haverberg

May 7, 2009

Its probably a more secure gig, and they can walk away with experience and contacts that’ll serve them in corporate communications positions later on. If pols can work for lobbying firms, regulators can work for the industries they regulate, military brass work for defense contractors, then why not have reporters work for the people they report on? Of course a better solution would be to stop the revolving door for everyone…

The only one I can think of at the moment is Tony Snow. I also would be very UNsurprised at a revolving door between FOX and Republicans, and between public radio and Democrats.
Kermit

May 7, 2009

Cindy Brucatto. Arne “I’m a Republican” Carlson.
Can’t believe you all missed that one.
uncledavid

May 8, 2009

Hmmmm. So you make an accusation and then expect your idiot readers to do the work for you? Is that how it works?
Yossarian

May 8, 2009

So you make an accusation and then expect your idiot readers to do the work for you? Is that how it works?

Just you, Dave. Just you.

Idiot.
Mitch Berg

May 8, 2009

Hmmmm. So you make an accusation and then expect your idiot readers to do the work for you? Is that how it works?

“Uncle”,

I’ll resist the urge to call you a “drooling lead-paint-chip eating post-lobotomy tragedy” and take the high road, merely asking you “have you been in prison for the past five years?”

What you’re describing is one of blogs’ great strengths. Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people add their own expertise to a premise, and together widen the body of knowledge on the subject.

That’s how Powerline and Little Green Footballs’ “idiot readers” exposed Dan Rather and Mary Mapes; one little “idiot” bit of expertise at a time.

Do try to keep up. The difference between a “crank” and an “interesting crank” is being, er, interesting. You’re not making the cut so far.
uncledavid

May 9, 2009

So…the “beauty” of blogs is that you get other people to make up things for you that you are too lazy to make up yourself? lol

That Dan Rather meme sure pays off, doesn’t it? Bubble, bubble, bubble.