Blogosphere Brings The News Fast. Like, Before It Even Happens Fast

Peter Bart has an interesting Variety article about how the viral nature of the tubes makes it impossible for publicity, marketing and press people to do their jobs. Traditionally, press breaks only break after they've been "nitpicked" by lawyers, publicists, corporate bureaucrats, etc. But now, this news is just out there, sometimes before it even happens:

...when Paramount Vantage set about to make staff reductions two weeks ago, the people who were being fired heard the news before they were informed about it by their superiors. Similarly, Brad Pitt was able to read that he'd been cast in Quentin Tarantino's new movie, "Inglorious Bastards," before he could read a contract or deal memo. [Variety]

When you're dealing with a generation of underlings who were socialized on the Internet, there's simply no longer such thing as secrecy.