There have been many notable, and even more simply recorded, moments when politicians and businessmen have been caught out by speaking candidly to journalists working under-cover. There are those who say the resulting exposure is in the public interest and those who say these are sting operations inveigling people into ruining their careers. Even more so we suspect that when it is to do with sex it is really the private life of the people that is being exposed and that has little to do with their professional life.
I am sure each and every occasion this happens should be viewed in its own right, but in the main I am on the side of the journalists. Not because I think inveigling is a good thing to do, but because the only reason journalists do this is because they know, better than many of us, that politicians lie to us about what they really think, really plan and really do. Activity like this has grown out of the fact that the relationship between journalism and politicians has been close and now has broken down.
Equally I am sure in the break down there are journalists just itching to make a name for themselves at the expense of others. But at the moment journalists don’t make laws that rule our lives, and they are the lesser problem.