The best flaks don’t ring very often. When they do, you know it is likely to be worth it. Or if they are just doing a bit of housekeeping, a small bit of ear bending, that’s fine. They’ve earnt the right.
The worst, from those thousands of small agencies of which we have barely heard, ring everyone all the time.
Hacks can be a bit superior about this; can get unnecessarily precious or cross about their thoughts being interrupted.
I do think the hacks have got a point though and that some flaks, some entire agencies, get themselves a bad name by phoning at the wrong time.
Today is budget day. I guarantee you that scores of flaks are, even as I type, phoning economics correspondents to discuss something other than the budget, which they will admit they weren’t aware was happening.
This is a really bad look. Unless you are sure it’s genuinely urgent, I’d leave non-budget related calls till at least Wednesday if possible.
