Edwards scandal idicts MSM and political bloggers

Saturday, August 09, 2008 by Dave Winer.

This morning two editorials one in the LA Times and the other in The Moderate Voice, a political blog, provide a fresh perspective on the Edwards scandal. 

The story broke in the National Enquirer, months ago, long before the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, yet mainstream press and bloggers failed to carry the story and investigate further. So far the stories have only been about the failure of mainstream press, but bloggers failed too.  

CNN interviewed the editor in chief of the Enquirer, David Perel, yesterday. 

Tim Rutten, writing in the Times says that this will "dethrone" mainstream media and "signals the end of the era in which traditional media set the limits of acceptable political journalism." 

Shaun Mullen, writing in The Moderate Voice says: "The mainstream media let us down yet again by failing to take seriously first rumors and then credible accounts of the John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair." 

Neither statement goes far enough.  

The reports were out there, there was tentative coverage in MSM and blogs, but the story we all took the word of reputable sources over the disreputable Enquirer.  

Rutten is right, it'll never be the same again. 

Update: I've Been Banned At DailyKos Because Of John Edwards. 

That's what happens when you "blog" somewhere you can be banned for saying something unpopular.  

Blogging is the unedited voice of a person. 

Kos is definitely not a blogging platform, if this story is true.