beat sweetener
n.— «The New Yorker says White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is “a political John McEnroe, known for both his mercurial temperament and his tactical brilliance,” yet is also uncommonly indifferent to both criticism and praise. Welcome to the “beat sweetener.” In the early days of any administration, reporters reach out to the men and women who might become their sources over the next four years—then slather them with glowing profiles suitable for framing in their mothers” bedrooms.» —“How media sucks up to White House” by Michael Calderone Politico Mar. 3, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you’re understood and being insulted. “High-involvement” speakers interrupt or talk along with someone else to signal their enthusiasm...
In an article in The Atlantic magazine, humorist Mark Twain quoted a sing-songy bit of doggerel about conductors punching railroad fares that illustrates how colored paper has long been used to encode information. This is part of a complete episode...