Camera and caterpillar
As a rule, journalists protect their sources, who are usually officials in government or some other entity which allows them to have secret information. Recently, however, we saw a Greek government official claiming the need to protect a source who is a journalist. This would be just another example of Greek absurdity and the talent we have for messing up institutions and principles if the official involved was not a close aide to the prime minister and if the DVD that the journalist gave him had not involved («according to unnamed sources») the lovemaking of the former general secretary at the Culture Ministry, who has since attempted suicide. He and a lawyer caught up in the case, who also tried to kill himself, are in the hospital, the girlfriend on the DVD is in prison and the whole country is caught in the cyclone of alleged dark secrets which we hear about but don’t see. The DVD has taken on mythical proportions and raised many questions: Who is the journalist who, in a mad reversal, played the role of Deep Throat instead of emulating the reporters, editor, and publisher of Watergate fame? Who gave him the DVD, and why? Was he supposed to publish the material or give it to the prime minister? Who filmed the action? Who edited it? What’s in the missing bits? Why did the investigating judge appear to buy the official’s story of the need for confidentiality, especially as the journalist himself could, without fear, claim the confidentiality of his sources? Was there any trade-off attempted? The fever will continue until the actor who played the role of the «journalist» is uncovered. And I say «played the role» because very often people pretend to be one thing before they seize the opportunity to become something else. Like caterpillars. The rest of us – plebeians in the theater – follow their matamorphoses.
