Archy writes
about what needs to be in place in order for a potential scandal to become a
real scandal.
In writing about the possibility of scandal, I took a quick shot at the elements needed to convert quiet
misdeeds into public scandal. I had three: hungry reporters, hungry politicians, and a venue. Allow me to
be pedantic about this.The first two elements are probably obvious. Hungry reporters pursue rumors and turn them into a narrative
of sleaziness for public consumption. Hungry politicians call hearings, empower special investigators, and
endow the narrative of sleaziness with political significance. But reporters don?t go directly to the
politicians. Reporters need a powerful venue?a platform?to publicize their researches. Politicians are
inherently cautious; they generally will not pursue a course until they are sure at least some of the
public is already headed in that direction. The venue is the tool by which a reporter gets part of the
public riled about the story.