A matter of trust: the complicated relationship between political media advisers and political journalists

The professional relationship between political journalists and political media advisers - intermediaries between the public and their elected representatives - is complex and, because the stakes are high on multiple levels, filled with tension. Underpinning it all is trust: a dynamic that to be effective must work in both directions and is cyclically tested, broken and repaired. As part of a PhD research project, in-depth interviews with practitioners from two sides of political communication revealed that the absence or presence of trust is the foundation stone of the relationship. While the relationship is fostered in speed-of-lightning environments, the study revealed old-fashioned conventions buttress the trust framework, but circumstances dramatically affect it. It is found that political media advisers aim to be honest, but approach this indirectly, and that political journalists see little need for transparency about their work before it enters the public realm.