Thursday, October 05, 2006

Where Is Investigative Reporting?

Two bloggers have managed to track down a source that none of the national media could find. Apparently no professional news reporter had any questions about the identity of the ABC source for Rep. Foley's IM's and whether that person, like Monica Lewinsky, was legally an adult. Or, if they did, they couldn't muster the savvy or resources that two bloggers did.

Blogger William Kerr at Passionate America and Ms. Underestimated cracked a story using internet investigation and native intelligence.

Kudos to them for investigative reporting that no one else did.

Where's ABC's professionalism? Do they research their sources before broadcasting a story? One wonders how ABC got the information. At this point it doesn't look like ABC tried to find or interview Jordan Edmund, the young man who received the IM's.

It's an ill wind that blows no one any good. At the least this scandal may result in a system that better protects young people like pages and interns. A system that interviews them periodically and monitors those who have access to them would be a good start.

But, the question is raised about the lack of journalistic competency in the mass media. The blogosphere keeps showing that the mass media emperorers have no clothes.

2 comments:

George Berryman said...

Where's ABC's professionalism?

Wait a minute... you can't fool me Terrance, that's a trick question!

T. D. said...

Or a rhetorical one. :-)