Puffery and Access

Brad Delong is still unhappy with the Washington Post, specifically a ridiculous puff piece by Peter Baker that includes:
For the president, the timing could not be much worse. In a second term marked by one setback after another, the White House was in the midst of a rebuilding effort aimed at a political comeback before November's critical midterm elections.

Rebuilding effort? What rebuilding effort? Stem cells, flag burning and gay marriage? Delong adds:
The most illuminating thing that one of Peter Baker's peers has said to me to explain stories like this is: "We really have to write these sort of things to maintain access. But we don't believe them. And everybody serious reading our newspaper knows we don't believe them." Seems to me that somebody needs to have a talk with Peter Baker about the importance of not printing stuff that is false, for the only asset the Washington Post might ever have would be credibility as a news source.

That is pretty damn sorry when the press believes it has to write lies to maintain "access." Access meaning access to the latest administration propaganda? That's what they've sold their souls for?

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