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September 13, 2004

The Enron of the Left

Remember Enron?

Here's a recap: A major - industry-leading, really - business collapsed as a result of immense corruption. The collapse helped punctuate a recession, and undermined the moral climate of the entire nation in those uncertain days before and immediately after 9/11.

The collapse of Enron - brought about by equal parts corruption and bad business - caused huge dislocation. And it led to huge reforms in the world of business.

So is the Memogate controversy, which speaks directly to political corruption at one of the biggest "unbiased" networks in the business, any less vital an issue than book-cooking at an "energy" company?

The link is to Powerline, the essential source on this story. What happens if CBS is finally, irrevocably "found guilty" in the court of public opinion? 1/3 of America's network news' integrity impugned; their hangers-on at the NYTimes and the Boston Glob tarred by association (although the Glob seems to be backing away); the rest of the nation in on the dirty little secret the right in this nation has known for decades - the media is corrupt, and that corruption is focused on politics?

Posted by Mitch at September 13, 2004 05:51 AM | TrackBack
Comments

The problem with the blogs, charming as they are, is that they either:

a) take their sources from major news media, or

b) use half-baked, often tragically innocent sources.

Without editorial oversight, *way* more bloops, bleeps and blunders make it into blogs than into the mainstream media.

Blogs are less a longbox (or crossbow, or pike) and more like a waterballoon or lawn dart. Occasionally capable of taking out an eye, but mostly harmless.

Posted by: Chip at September 13, 2004 09:31 PM

Chip,

To a great extent, I agree - depending on your perspective.

From the supply side - yeah. Blogs are an immense chinese firedrill. Much ado - not much results in relation to the amount of time and effort that goes in.

On the demand side - those bazillions of hours spent by the entire blogosphere (I hate that term) are starting to wear down the traditional boundaries between the media and the "rest of us". The amount of input is irrelevant - the market values it cheaply - but the results matter.

I worry about hubris among blogs. But I'm enjoying basking in the reflected glory of the likes of Ed, Rocketman and so on...

Posted by: mitch at September 13, 2004 10:45 PM

You mean media is supposed to have SOURCES?

News flash for Dan Rather!

Posted by: Big Dan at September 14, 2004 11:19 AM

"basking in the reflected glory"?

Sounds like hubris to me.

Posted by: Chip at September 15, 2004 02:17 AM

Chip: Only if delivered with full seriousness!

Hey, it's an exciting time to be in the NAOB. I don't think it's hubristic to say we - mainly Ed and John, but the rest as well - have done some pretty cool stuff this past few months.

Posted by: mitch at September 15, 2004 09:51 AM
hi