Election 2008: Can pigs fly?

Two prominent Newfoundland journalists have crossed the line to run as candidates – and “it’s not pretty,”
observes Greg Locke in this J-Source post.
But when the Sydney Morning Herald threw out the question to readers – Should Ex-journos
Become Pollies? – the response was milder than you might expect. The
question brings to mind the case of former MP and ex-journo Dick Proctor, who
flipped into ‘journalism mode,’ scribbling notes at the sound of a juicy high-level
conversation on an airplane. Jon Filson raises the question: What would a working
journalist have done with the notes?    

Then there’s the reverse play: when politicos become
journos. Eric Green of the Washington-watching website America.gov argues politicians may bring
their spin with them, but they also bring an inside track on issues that the
rest of us can only dream about. In Blurry
Line Separates Politics, Journalism, Green points to the example of the
late Tim Russert, an ex-politico who established a solid journalistic reputation.
But this only works when allegiances are shed, the article cautions. In other
words, blurry or not, the line matters – and once you’ve crossed, it’s not so
easy to go back.

(Gagglescape image)