Tag: journalism

A “press gaggle” is an informal briefing by the White House press secretary that, unlike a backgrounder, is on the record.

A “gotcha question” is one posed by a reporter in an effort to trick a politician into looking stupid or saying something damaging.

“Muckraker” is a name given to progressive journalists and writers in the early 20th century. The term is still sometimes used today to refer to investigative journalists.

“Samizdat” was a form of underground press commonly available in eastern European countries with state-owned media sources.

In politics, the term “smoking gun” refers to a piece of evidence that definitively proves a crime or wrongdoing by a public official.