POLITICS: San Diego Seeing Influx of Journalists Becoming Politicians

AUGUST 7, 2009 -- Next time you read a byline in a local newspaper or magazine, or watch an anchor on a nightly TV newscast, take note: those people may soon be your public servants. Over the past few years, there’s been a steady march from the field of journalism into politics.

On Monday, Tim McClain should begin working as a legislative assistant/press secretary to San Diego County District 4 Supervisor Ron Roberts. For the previous dozen years, McClain was the editor of Metropolitan magazine, appeared on Editors Roundtable on KPBS and most recently was business editor for sandiego.com.

What’s it like to go from asking the questions to answering and/or avoiding them?

“I love journalists and writers—I’ve always been a big defender of what they try to do,” says McClain. “And I’ll help them do their jobs from this side of the fence.”

Last month, San Diego city councilmember Marti Emerald (District 7) hired former KGTV weather reporter Geni Cavitt to be her director of communications. You might recall Emerald was the “Troubleshooter” consumer reporter for 10News.

Within the last year, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders snatched up San Diego Union-Tribune writers Gerry Braun and Rachel Laing to be director of special projects and deputy press secretary, respectively.

District 6 city councilmember Donna Frye has also double-dipped at the Union-Tribune. Former reporters Mark Sauer and Chet Barfield are now her district representatives.

Former U-T reporter Tony Manolatos was grabbed to be director of communications for District 2 city councilmember Kevin Faulconer. District 1 county supervisor Greg Cox has the U-T's Luis Monteagado as his spokesperson. And the director of communications for the past couple years to District 5 county supervisor Bill Horn has been former KFMB-TV anchor John Culea.  

And now, I'd like to announce that I'm running for President...Not.