More MSM fluffing

I loved the Washington Post's Response to DOJ Patriot Act Letter. Total total smack down.

I note it is odd, because it is an editors note which is not an apology, correction, retraction or qualification. The editor is saying the Post had it right the first time and that the DOJs complaints are absurd.

I mention the note, because it shows why the MSM uses the he said she said format. The utter humiliation of the poor author(s) of the DOJ letter is largely based on the fact that he(she they) was required to claim that assertions in the Post article were false, when, in almost all of the contested assertions, the Post was simply quoting DOJ officials and official documents. The editor does not even have to discuss the merits of the controversy, since it is trivially easy to prove that the debate is between the DOJ and the DOJ not between the DOJ and the Post.

The reluctance of reputably reporters to use their own voice can be very irritating and means that they must work very hard (finding documented facts and getting quotes) to avoid being spun. However, it can lead to a finished product which can not be contested without humiliating absurdity.

Does this mean that all the he says she says is worth it ? No but it was a fun read.