The MSM Sausage Factory

I haven't posted anything on RatherGate, because its an old, tired story, and besides, the whole thing happened two weeks before I started my blog! However, here's the most interesting thing I've seen in weeks about the story. Read Geraghty's post as well as the blog post he links to. It's an examination of the legal "plausible deniability" strategies the press uses when it wants to libel someone.

excerpt:

The attorneys at The National Enquirer have perfected a strategy that is being copied by other media, such as CBS Legal. We call it “Head In the Sand.” The publication goes to great lengths to prevent rebuttal facts from coming into its possession, prior to deadline. To a journalist, the possession of rebuttal facts is like holding contraband - possession is punishable by a finding of Actual Malice. So journalists have changed the way they operate, in order to avoid being caught with the hot potato of rebuttal facts. Why? Because the Legal Department might step in and delay or kill the story, if there are any rebuttal facts lying around.