During goodbye drinks for a former colleague some years ago, the departing journalist took me aside to offer friendly career advice. If you want to fit in, stop covering stories you think are important and follow the consensus news agenda, he warned me. He meant it helpfully. But I felt my soul shrivel as I watched him rejoin the others at the bar raising a glass to his departure from the Fourth Estate. He had been a reliable reporter and would be a loss to journalism. That former colleague was part of a traditional trickle of journalists crossing the Rubicon to trade in the dark art of spin-doctoring.

In the early years, such moves were rare and seldom and, thus, seemed wonderful. But the trickle has turned into a flood.

Currently, there are 12 former journalists employed as ministers’ advisers. Eight of them were previously based in Leinster House as political editors, correspondents and reporters. Another was the editor of a daily newspaper. No doubt, each one had good personal reasons for changing careers – financial necessity, ambition to work inside the system, family responsibilities, even altruistic belief in public service – but the cumulative effect is damaging the perception of Irish journalism and that has repercussions for the common good.

When those who are supposed to be the watchdogs for the public interest become the guard-dogs at the gates of government, a country’s conversation becomes vulnerable to the dog that barks the loudest. Some exceptionally talented former political correspondents now ply their skills to enhance their ministers’ profiles, limit the damage caused by bad publicity........

© The Irish Times