Just a quick note on the Condit front. The story that’s only starting to get a touch of play in the reporting is how much orchestration is taking place on the part of the public relations operatives working for the Levy family.
One hesitates to use the loaded word ‘orchestration’ since these people are desperately trying to find out what happened to their daughter; and the chances of finding a happy answer seem bleak. Still it’s a point worth noting since it speaks to a broader issue of how the media functions today, and specifically how this story is being advanced.
Reporters I’ve spoken to who are covering the Levy camp (if I can use that word) say that the Levy supporters (would it be too cheeky to call them Levites?) are quite open about their strategy, which is to day-after-day drib and drab out more information on Condit-Levy relationship, both to squeeze Condit and keep pressure on the police. Yesterday’s revelations from Chandra’s aunt are of course part of this effort. These days even feeding frenzies and personal tragedy apparently can’t do without professional management.
I’m not saying this is good or bad necessarily; just that much of it is very, very thought out in advance, and planned for greatest impact and effect.
Of course, Condit too now has an anti-feeding frenzy consultant on hire. But her job seems a touch more challenging than theirs.
And by the way, for you real Talking Points loyalists out there, I’ll be on CNN’s Reliable Sources (Sat. 6:30 PM; Sun 11:30 AM) this weekend making what (if I remember correctly) were some fairly vacuous media criticism type comments about you know what.
