Monday, November 09, 2020

Journamalism

Amazing.
But she did her real work in Room 4a, in the basement, where the junior reporters for the tabloids and assorted other misfits like me were relegated, downstairs from the legendary main press room, Room 9. Room 4a was a cluttered office with mismatched desks and, once, a squirrel. I sat facing her and every morning watched her routine, which was terrifying. First, she picked up the competing newspaper, The Daily News, and leafed through for stories she wished she’d broken, deducing who had been the source of each one. Then, she called the sources — she already knew them well, of course — and chatted in a friendly way, before telling them she felt genuinely betrayed that they hadn’t gone to her, that she was worried she’d be in trouble with her boss for getting beaten and, honestly, that she was incredibly angry at them.
So Maggie's a sociopath who emotionally abuses her potential sources that she gained access to through her parents' social circles, almost assuredly (though unstated here) promising them beat sweeteners as part of the deal to steal them away from other journalists.

Nobody cares what young reporter Maggie thinks about them unless young reporter Maggie is MAGGIE HABERMAN daughter of New York Times reporter Clyde Haberman and PR mogul Nancy Haberman, and daughter-in-law of wealthy philanthropists and socialites Vartan and Clare Gergorian. "She already knew them well, of course."

Emotionally abuses people and poisons the entire source-journalist relationship structure for the rest of the profession, all for 98% court gossip.

Truly the Trump Whisperer, I suppose.