The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 6 letter word PEN PUSHER
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More clues leading to the result PEN PUSHER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "hack (journalist)" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case hack (journalist) = pen pusher.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PEN PUSHER mean?
PEN PUSHER noun- A person who performs routine office work, involving mainly paperwork.