NEWSWATCH by Thomas Griffith: A Sinking Feeling About Leaks

Newswatch

Already the press is getting used to the way the President-elect—at least before taking office—stays in seclusion, says nothing or prudently contents himself with brief, noncommittal, cameo appearances. In his silence, others, perhaps hoping to speak for him or eager to influence him, fill the gap. The sounds to be heard all over Washington are of trial balloons collapsing and the steady drizzle of leaks.

Much of the press lives by leaks these days, but it pays a price for them that it may not want to think about. With increased frequency, the...