Who Cares If It's TrueI try not to read the Drudge Report too often because I think it rots my brain, but I can't help dropping by every once in a while. This morning I was treated to this little tidbit.

This morning, TIME's Mike Allen was interviewed by CNN's Miles O'Brien to discuss his exclusive with DeLay. CNN's O'Brien opened the interview by saying: "Mike Allen, the White House correspondent for TIME magazine broke the story. Glad to have you with us."

Meanwhile, on NBC's "TODAY SHOW," host Katie Couric introduced Matthews during the show's DeLay package by describing the flamboyant cable host as the person "who broke the story." The interview closed with Couric saying "Congratulations on breaking the story." Matthews replied "Thank you very much."

May I ask a silly question? Who the hell cares who was first to break the story? We're talking about a difference of hours here anyway. And it's not like either reporter uncovered some long hidden secret of the ages. Delay was as corrupt as they come and his lies were finally catching up to him. Sure, his decision not to run again, and now his decision to resign is certainly news (and good news at that), but it doesn't change much of anything. How many people's lives are going to be affected by this? Not enough to care.

I think in recent years, the public view of journalists and reporters¹ has sunken to the level of auto mechanic, car dealer and lawyer. One reason (aside from bias and sensationalism) may be this fixation on being the first to break a story instead of being the one with the good story, or the meaningful story, or the story with context and intelligent analysis. Oh well--does anybody even care about news anymore?

[1] Have they now become one and the same?

Posted by Hey Paul   |   Tuesday, April 04, 2006