Of course, it isn’t surprising- everybody knows on some level that this sort of business goes on. The striking thing is how rarely it’s reported on. I’ve written in the past on the great media operator John Rendon, and the upshot of my thoughts was that many of those who do most to change public and political opinion succeed by remaining as invisible as possible.

Rendon managed to monitor and control the fallout from every major US military operation of the past 20 years, and he did so by making sure he personally made as little noise as possible. When he supplied the Kuwati welcome crowd with stars and stripes following its liberation in the first Gulf War, no media commentators celebrated Rendon’s role. Instead, millions saw an inexpressibly powerful image, seemingly created from nowhere.

Lobbyists benefit from a similarly shadowy modus operandi. The point behind legislation change is that it seamlessly and without friction benefits their client’s operation. Even a successful lobby isn’t much good from a PR perspective if everyone can see the wires. Any legislative manipulation washes poorly with the public, regardless of how sinister it actually is.

Lately, however, lobbying is very much starting to clear a space for itself on the news agenda. Across the pond, despite Obama’s much feted initial steps to limit scope for lobbying, the liberal media continues to pick up on the double dealings of his fundraisers. More humorously, headline-grabbers like this marvellous tale have done much to push this most mysterious of government processes into the limelight.

After the work of the Independent this week, we can only assume the same will happen here. Lobbyists are a prime target for a good handbagging by the liberal media, and in many cases not without reason. Many of the accounts bringing in the most cash are also hiding the most corruption. However, I wouldn’t want to see Bell Pottinger and others in their business run into the ground by public opinion- Lobbies are in many cases examples of the cleverest, most beneficial side of corporate PR.

Let’s hope that the public isn’t so invested with the crusading spirit of the Leveson inquiry that this reportage will turn into another circus. Democracy must be upheld, but hopefully without leaving too many casualties along the way.

Arcati, whose blog is the current darling of the blogoshphere and one of its best, sexiest reads, muses, with an amused raised eyebrow, on the possibility that the article – which threw light on Green’s angling for a $9 million raise for Cowell and the idea of broadcasting an American X Factor on Fox to tie Cowell to American Idol for the next two and a half years.

Arcati wryly pricks the egos at work, acknowledging that the story could either be a fabrication or an irritant to the moguls behind X Factor and American Idol. The missing Sabbagh story is either full of “unusually fearless objectivity” or “total tosh” – either could have prompted its pulling.

Regardless, the good Madame, by exposing the article’s vanishment, is gleefully and gloriously helping expose the powerful PR muscle that keeps the X Factor in the public eye.

As we know, the X Factor is the current role model for promoting celebrities, if not neccessarily the ones it is purportedly creating. I’ve been looking at the rise of Cheryl Cole; the Independent asked for my opinion on her success. It all ties in rather nicely with Madam Arcati’s timely piece.

“She is a phenomenon of the moment,” I told the Independent. “There is a time and place for opportunities driven by The X Factor. Marketing is built to capitalise on the moment. With every level of pop, it’s going to be transient. It’s about harvesting the brand at its prime, and knowing their sell by date is firmly tattooed on their arse. There’s no long-term future with Cheryl Cole. You drill your marketing through the ears listening at that moment in time to the music. They’re sinking the drill into the deep well and sucking up the crude while it’s where it is.”

You could say the same about the X Factor and, if the missing Times article is to be believed, the people behind it know this and are pushing to squeeze out every last drop of milk whilst they still can…