It would be funny if it weren't so transparently sad. We've seen "name that party" games for a long time in the press. Today, the Associated Press played "name that company."
In an unbylined report Friday evening which oddly has Dina Cappiello's Twitter address at the bottom , the identity of failed solar manufacturer Solyndra isn't revealed until the third paragraph. The item's headline refers vaguely to "a failed solar firm," while the opening paragraph describes "a failed solar panel manufacturer." Really:
Well, look at the bright side. The AP clearly believes in transparency, as it's transparently obvious that Ms. Cappiello or whoever really wrote the item avoided naming bankrupt firm Solyndra as long as possible in the hope that subscribing news outlets and broadcasters will lose interest during the first two paragraphs and not use the item at all, or just use the headline and first two paragraphs.
If Ms. Cappiello actually wrote the item, it's understandable why she wouldn't want her byline at the top. What an embarrassment -- almost but not quite as embarrassing as the White House's justification for refusing to comply (as paraphrased by AP, "curiosity alone is not a justification to encroach on the Executive Branch's longstanding confidentiality interests.")
Does anyone remember a similar reluctance to name Enron in 2001 or later? Didn't think so.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
