“Ratlike cunning, a plausible manner and a little literary ability"-the qualities of a successful journalist, according to Nicholas Tomalin, one of the breed-are not traditionally valued in think-tanks, the semi-academic institutions that come up with ideas for politicians. Their policy papers are meant to be dry; their wonks more like politicised civil servants than hacks. But increasingly think-tanks are doing journalism-not just blogging and tweeting but foreign reporting, too. Deskbound journalists, meanwhile, are embracing data and spreadsheets.
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