Leaks Are Gold to Media

 "...these slow leaks make Facebook appear petty and vindictive...]" - TechCrunch, June 6, 2022.

That leaking is to The Wall Street Journal and it focuses on allegations that Sheryl Sandberg misused corporate resources.

The criticism by TechCrunch is that those particular leaks are "petty and vindictive." 

But all leaking is petty and vindictive. That even applies to the leaks with a supposedly noble cause. The underlying motivation is usually some kind of grievance.

The four years in which I was covering the Rhode Island Lead Paint Public Nuisance Trial, you bet, I received tips. Often they served to clarify issues or add to the available facts. But in every situation I discerned what was going on to be, yes, petty and vindictive. They had a beef. Usually a personal one. 

Obviously, Sandberg had a lot of enemies within Facebook. But don't most executives? Once their power lessens or they are actually out of the game the extreme badmouthing gets into full swing. That badmouthing can take the form of leaking to the media.

Those leaks are gold to media so they're encouraged. The strength of Abovethelaw has been its ability to cultivate a network of junior lawyers who will leak. Without those sources it would be just a legal digital tabloid. It has become more substantive in content since its days of snark but it's no Bloomberg Law or Reuters Legal. 

There is that old joke: If you want a friend in DC, get a dog.

Well, the same now seems to be the universal situation in business. Sad.

Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com. Conjure up magical results in your communications.

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