Press: Flack Attack

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The Post spurns p. r. "wolves"

Reporters often rely on publicists to alert them to stories, but customarily dismiss the public relations trade as "flackery." They especially bridle at the notion that p.r. agencies offer clients "influence" or "access" to news organizations; journalists consider themselves open to anyone with a story or a complaint.

Resentment reached the flash point with Washington Post Editorial Page Editor Meg Greenfield when she "looked at the disaster area that is my desk and saw that everything on it had two or three p.r. firms' names on the letterhead." Greenfield sent a fiery memo to Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee. "We don't want any of that damned crowd around here," she wrote. "If people want to get to us ... it's as easy as pie, so long as they don't come in (or send their manuscripts in or make a request) via a flack firm. The reason for saying no to these wolves is plain and very strong ... Why should we be in their goddamn memo traffic as exploitable or exploited 'resources'?"

Bradlee wrote his own spirited endorsement to managing and assistant managing editors. Said he: "If college presidents want to talk to us they should call us, and not be charged for arranging an interview by some public relations firm." He added what appeared to be an outright Post-wide ban: "Please be sure that all reporters and assignment editors understand what we're talking about. We will not be a party to political interviews, or really any interviews, set up by professional public relations firms."

Soon after, copies of Greenfield's and Bradlee's notes leaked to Washington p.r. agencies. Threatened with a loss of mystique and livelihood, the firms bombarded the Post with protests. Privately, some claimed that since the capital became a one-newspaper town with the death of the Washington Star last August, the Post has grown increasingly arrogant—and, in this case, impractical. One senior p.r. man pointed out that the Post, in its coverage of politicians and Government agencies, routinely deals with press officers and administrative aides. "Everyone in this business has to deal with intermediaries," he said. "Ronald Reagan could call them any time he wants to, but you know he won't."

By week's end both Bradlee and Greenfield were backing off. Bradlee said that he meant only to stress that "no one has to hire a rainmaker to see us"; he waffled when asked whether the Post really meant to refuse all interviews set up by p.r. firms. Indeed, speaking for the feature sections, Bradlee said, "We will take all calls." Greenfield insisted that she had wanted only to keep her opinion pages "Caesar's wife-ish" and open to all comers. Added she: "It was not my intention to direct this to the news side." ∎