As journalism and the habit of reading decline, it seems entirely possible that political intelligence will develop into a billion-dollar industry. People will still need information about government affairs, after all. But this information may become a luxury commodity for the very rich rather than something ordinary citizens consume by reading newspapers and magazines or listening to the radio or watching the evening news. Demand for all these mediums has dwindled, and the rise of the Internet doesn’t appear to have taken up the slack. Politicians, meanwhile, who after all have limited time on their hands, may increasingly wonder why they should spend any of it talking to a mere reporter when they can talk instead to a political intelligence consultant who just might reward the favor with a fat campaign contribution.
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Timothy Noah, New Republic. What the Heck is the ‘Political Intelligence’ Industry.
The News: The US House of Representatives killed a provision in an insider trading bill that would have required people involved in ‘political intelligence’ to register in the same way that traditional lobbyists do.
Political intelligence is a $300 million a year industry used by hedge funds and mutual funds to get information about which way politicians are going to vote — or what legislation will be enacted — that effect industries that they are invested in.
(via futurejournalismproject)
So many fancy names for corruption.. It’s only Transparency International that doesn’t get it :)
(Source: futurejournalismproject)
Posted February 11, 2012 at 2:49pm in corruption lobbying politics political intelligence spying
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