Harper’s Washington editor Ken Silverstein says he won’t deny that lobbying firm APCO Worldwide is good at what it does--lobbying for an array of companies ranging from World Wrestling Entertainment, to the CVS Corporation.
In fact, Silverstein won’t deny much of anything, even that he falsified documents and lied to APCO to get his story.
The reason? Silverstein told NPR he wanted to know how far lobbying firms could and would go in order to satisfy foreign sovereignties. “These firms are able to operate under the radar screen. . . we wanted to expose that,” Silverstein said.
Expose it, they did. But lobbying tactics weren’t the only things questionable in Silvestein’s article.
Washington Post columnist Howard Kurtz commented today on how Silverstein’s actions--lying to the firms, and not asking for comment after--put his journalistic ethics on shaky grounds.
Silverstein contacted two lobbying firms as Kenneth Case, supposedly an executive for the London-based Maldon Group. Silverstein went so far as to purchase a London cell phone number and have a Web site created for the fictitious firm.
Kenneth Case, or rather Silverstein, then met with APCO and fellow lobbying firm Cassidy and Associates, under the guise that the Maldon Group was seeking services for its client, the government of Turkmenistan, a dictatorship apparently noted for its less-than-scrupulous commitment to human rights.
The story broke in the Harper’s July 2007 issue. According to Silverstein, the firms were eager to represent the government, regardless of its oppressive image.
Ironically, for a journalist concerned with the ethics of lobbying firms, Silverstein never told the lobbying firms who he really was, and he never contacted the firms for comment before the story appeared.
“They never called us to say, 'You got punked,' "APCO spokesman B. Jay Cooper told Kurtz.
Silverstein’s questionable tactics for gathering information may rival those of MTV’s Punk’d host Ashton Kutcher, but don’t expect the Kutch to go gallivanting around K Street anytime soon. With seven movies currently in production, he’ll probably leave the lobbying high jinks to journalists.

There are few things that inspire greater disgust in me than journos parading their virtue while letting crooks and politicians get away with murder. There's a characteristic tone that comes into their voices, "you're not suggesting that we violate the Code of Ethics, are you?" they chime with strident rectitude, as Rome burns and the criminals laugh at the fourth estate's self-imposed Pollyanna ethical constraints.
Here's a scenario: it's 1943, and you have filed a story with your Berlin editor revealing the true meaning of Sonderbehandlung ("Special Handling"). You obtained the story by impersonating an SS officer, gaining access to the camp in Silesia, and sitting down to some sausage and schnapps with Commandant Hoess, who, in a moment of back-slapping good humor among six-foot-plus, pure Aryan Kameraden, has let you in on the real meaning of the term.
"Sorry Ken, it's a great story, but that's just not the way we practice journalism here" says the rueful but proud-he-knows-his-ethics editor as you sputter, "but sir, they're exterminating an entire race!" "Doesn't matter Ken, impersonating any military officer -- much less an elite member of the SS -- is a crime under the laws of this Reich, and we will not be a party to it! Now, somebody bring me that copy for tomorrow's edition about the administration's Strength through Joy travel programs. Speer's people tell me they're credited with a 20 percent increase in productivity at the Schweinfurt ball-bearing factory. Now that's news you can use!"
Posted by: eak | July 04, 2007 at 05:27 PM
Kurtz and by association Wertz are shills for the cozy DC establishment. You won't see them break a sweat until someone threatens the Media-Governmental complex and then it's 'bring all guns to bear'. In their world we know all the news already so there's no need to report it, just regurgitate more of the pap from the governmental buddies they yucked it up with during Rich Little. People think we are ill-served by government. We are just as ill-served by the DC press corps who have failed in their very role as watchdogs in our democracy. Maybe if some of them had an ounce of independence and weren't worried about pissing off a lunch buddy (and losing 'access'!?!) the last few years would have been different. But oh I forgot, your average DC press person thinks integrity and competence in public service are merely the fantasies of rubes. Looks like Wertz has a bright future ahead, how do you spell 'K Street?'
Posted by: Ryan Ver Berkmoes | July 04, 2007 at 03:23 AM
has this article been changed from its original incarnation in any way? and has that change in any way cut against, or supported, its original supposition?
of course i know the answer to these questions: the writer of this article had a point of view on silverstein's piece, a negative one. he used an incorrect spin based on not having read the piece (oy!) to attack silverstein for a crime he did not commit.
this entry has now been redacted, but there is no acknowledgment of the change, nor is there any acknowledgment that the essential nature of this post is wrong.
this is a serious breach of any kind of journalistic ethics. but hey, why even point out that this is a tad ironic.
physician, heal thyself.
Posted by: Robert Green | July 03, 2007 at 02:59 PM