Liberal bores want journalist bugged (7)
I believe the answer is:
needled
'bugged' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'liberal bores want journalist' is the wordplay.
'liberal' becomes 'l' (abbreviation).
'bores' means one lot of letters goes inside another (to bore something can mean to drill into it).
'want' becomes 'need' (needing is a kind of wanting).
'journalist' becomes 'ed' (short for editor).
'need'+'ed'='needed'
'l' put into 'needed' is 'NEEDLED'.
(Other definitions for needled that I've seen before include "bugged" , "Provoked with sewing implement" , "Irked" , "Annoyed - provoked" , "was annoying" .)