The so-called revolving door between journalism and campaigns has been drawing increasing attention. Before joining The National Journal, Ms. Douglass had worked for decades in television news, starting at network affiliates in Los Angeles and becoming a Washington correspondent at CBS News and then, until 2006, at ABC News, where she covered Capitol Hill.
There, Ms. Douglass covered Mr. Obama’s entering the Senate, appearing on ABC the night he won election in 2004 to predict, “He’s going to be received by the Democrats as a conquering hero.”
Ex-Network Reporter Leaves Journalism to Join Obama’s Campaign
By JIM RUTENBERG
Linda Douglass, a longtime network news correspondent in Washington now working as a contributing editor to The National Journal, said Wednesday that she would leave the magazine to work for Senator Barack Obama’s campaign.
In an interview, Ms. Douglass said she would spend most of her time on the road with Mr. Obama as a traveling strategist and spokeswoman, a position created as the campaign expands operations for its expected involvement in the general election.
Ms. Douglass said she decided to be part of the story she was covering, because “I just thought I couldn’t possibly sit on the sidelines any more.”
“I’m somebody who really cares about good government,” she said. “It’s kind of my soapbox. When I see someone come along who is really sincere about making a more responsive government, I really respond.”
This year has been rife with charges from both sides of the divide that the news media are too enamored with Mr. Obama and Senator John McCain, and Ms. Douglass’s new position fueled criticism on conservative blogs and among some supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Newsvine
Furl
Google
Yahoo
