Blogs and Stories
Enough with 'Transparency'
From Obama to Madoff, it’s the new buzzword. And it’s bogus.
Here’s an idea for a drinking game called Transparency: Players have to chug every time someone drops this chestnut in a business or political setting.
In our shell-shocked, post-Madoff era, the thirst for transparency and full-disclosure is warranted. We rightly want to know what’s under the fingernails of those who have power over our lives.
The problem is that transparency has become the insipid new shibboleth for all that is good and noble—a mere bit of corporate and political theater. After all, nobody ever got fired for invoking transparency. Maybe they should.
Transparency begins with its spiritual leader, President Obama, who isn’t particularly transparent, which is apparently OK.
I made a few notes on recent mentions of transparency in my own little world of crisis management, where it is seen as the antidote for whatever malfeasance ails ya’:
• A prospective client requested “greater transparency in your budget.” Upon further inquiry, it became clear that he meant, “I don’t want to pay you.”
• In a meeting, Participant #1 responded to a statement by Participant #2 by saying, “Your point isn’t transparent enough.” As the debate wore on, it became evident that Participant #1 was really saying, “I disagree with you and would like to strangle you with my belt.”
• A reporter told me that he didn’t believe that a drug company had been transparent with its research. I asked him to identify the source who was alleging that a particular product was hazardous. The reporter refused, because, he said his sources were confidential. When I suggested that this was not very transparent, I got a predictable earful about how confidential sources are critical to public welfare.
This last example has the most serious implications, because both the reporter and I have a point: True whistleblowers should have recourse, but anonymous sources wield immense power and cause mortal harm to their targets whether they deserve it or not. Transparency should apply to the product liability activists as well as to those making the products.
Transparency begins with its spiritual leader, President Obama, who isn’t particularly transparent, which is apparently OK. He promised to limit the influence of special interests by setting strict rules about administration officials coming from or going to lobbying positions in the private sector. When questioned about this, Obama’s spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said there were exceptions for senior officials. When pressed on these exceptions, Gibbs said the administration wouldn’t discuss it.
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
What's Joe's Problem?
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Geithner's Stock Plummeting
Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
The Inescapable President
Eric Dezenhall co-founded the communications firm Dezenhall Resources, Ltd., and serves as its CEO. His first book, Nail 'em!: Confronting High-Profile Attacks on Celebrities and Business, pioneered techniques for understanding and defusing crises.
The Witch Hunt Backlash Is Coming
Eric Dezenhall co-founded the communications firm Dezenhall Resources, Ltd., and serves as its CEO. His first book, Nail 'em!: Confronting High-Profile Attacks on Celebrities and Business, pioneered techniques for understanding and defusing crises.
How A-Rod Can Save His Image
Eric Dezenhall co-founded the communications firm Dezenhall Resources, Ltd., and serves as its CEO. His first book, Nail 'em!: Confronting High-Profile Attacks on Celebrities and Business, pioneered techniques for understanding and defusing crises.
"Do as I say, not as I do." That's Obama. Transparent except when he decides it needn't be.
And about that line-by-line budget review he was talking about?
The common theme is that transparency is for other people's information and actions.
Now hold on now ...
With his build status the way it is IF he becomes any more transparent he will be a shoe in to play the Invisible Man on Broadway ...
Seriously though, IF and WHEN Obama starts a new war without giving specifics and actually puts American Lives in Danger, THEN and only then, will I be concerned about how Transparent he is ...
To me, so far, he is better than the past 8 years ...
Wait, a PR guy thinks "transparency" is a scam? I'm shocked, absolutely shocked. While I agree that "transparency" is a buzzword, it basically means "full disclosure" or more simply "honesty," and god knows that there's nothing more dangerous to good PR than that.
What a bunch of republican bull. The most secret party in the history of this country calling for transparency.
You guys are too funny.
If you hadn't ruined the country and actually did some good you'd still be in power.
So some people invoke the value of transparency as a meaningless buzzword. They're just not using the word correctly.
Other people (like President Obama, you allege) say that transparency has value, but fail to hold themselves to that high standard.
But none of this counts as an actual argument against transparency as a value. Are we supposed to prefer opacity or vagueness? Without transparency, how can we have any measure of accountability? How can we trust any information, or be confident that our elected representatives are acting in good faith? Without transparency, democracy can't work.
Your argument reduces to a series of ad hominem attacks.
Most PC police want it for everyone else, not themselves. Doesn't matter what the PC buzzword of the day is- accountability, transparency, diversity, bi-partisan, whatever - all it means is that they tell everyone else what they want and if they don't get it everyone else is anti -buzzword.
Not to make this a discussion about religion, but you know that "Do unto others" rule? Doesn't seem to apply to PC Police as represented by politicians, extremists, media talking head/hacks or nutjobs, all currently seeking transparency in a big way.
@apostleis: you're fun. keep whining.
There is no buzzword.GREED perhaps and of course disrespect.
Hey mindlessmissy, the name suits you well, how about 2000 million lives for you. That would be the United States Of America. That means something to many people in this nation. Obama and his "change" does not spek for all of us. We are a free nation for a reason.... it's not because of Obama...! or Bush!
Hey skunk don't invoke the name of "God" unless you can do it properly. I have had it with people who want results and spread their worthless 2 cents and use God to do so, but do not want to give up anything on their part. Quit whining and STAND for something, instead of following the heard!!!
Republican, Democrat....useless words to describe current political posturing. Patriot, a word co-oped be the last admin...a means to and end. Look it up, read your history. The more anyone wants the US to be like the "rest of the world" the less patriotic you are...if you don't think so, look in the mirror and see the PROBLEM!!!!!!
I fail to see how after 2 weeks anyone could judge how transparent the Obama administration is going to be. I suggest that the Obama White House will always try to achieve a better level of transparancy than any past administration.
Interesting - when our government continually rejects commenting (or has no recollection) on issues such as: the outing of a CIA agent, internal practices within the justice department, the use of wiretapping,rendition and torture that is fine......
This is week 2 people....ANY level of transparency is better than what we have had for the last 8 years
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.