It’s reputation that matters when spin doctors go back to the newsroom

As press secretaries increasingly shift from their roles back to the world of journalism, it’s important that newsrooms monitor exactly how much of the Kool-Aid has been drunk, argues Caroline Fisher in this crossposting from The Conversation.

For some editors, the risk of the returning journalist being perceived as politically biased would be too great, and they wouldn’t be employed. For others, the benefit of fresh inside knowledge and connections outweighs the risk.

ABC Insiders host Barrie Cassidy was once press secretary to former prime minister Bob Hawke

I interviewed ten Australian news editors and nine politicians in 2015-16 about managing the shift from press secretary to political reporter. The responses boiled down to questions of professionalism and reputation.

Editors made a distinction between press secretaries they perceived to be actively engaged party members – or “spear chuckers” as the former editor-in-chief of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, described them – and those who were more detached communications professionals.

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