NYT Editors Spinning Furiously on Plamegate

They're practically climbing the walls over there trying (and failing) to salvage their reputation and integrity for the woefully inaccurate and sensationalistic reporting they did leading the Plamegate investigation.

Tom Maguire, the blogosphere's go-to guy for the scandal, relishes the mental anguish of the NYT editors. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of Democrats journalists.

Meanwhile, the WaPo has another editorial spanking huff-and-puff journalists, urging them to "can the conspiracy theories and stick to the facts." Here's a taste (you have to register to read the articles):

No one behaved well in the whole mess -- not Wilson, not Libby, not special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and not the reporters involved.

The only time I commented on the case was to caution reporters who offered bold First Amendment defenses for keeping their sources' names secret that they had better examine the motivations of the people leaking the information to be sure they deserve protection.

But caution has been notably lacking in some of the press treatment of this subject -- especially when it comes to Karl Rove. And it behooves us in the media to examine that behavior, not just sweep it under the rug.

Don't hold your breath, Mr. Broder. Interesting that you mention Libby, who is so far guilty of forgetting a conversation. I don't chalk that up to "bad behavior." There wouldn't have been a need for Libby at all if Fitz, the Democrats and the reporters pushing this whole sordid train were honest and fact-centric from day one. They weren't. It was a political witchnunt, using the judicial system as a weapon against political opponents who did nothing wrong.

Here's my question - if the NYT and other "major journalistic publications" actually need to be told to 'stick to the facts' at this point, then why does anybody take their reporting on such matters (particularly when the GOP is the subject of the reporting) seriously? What does that say about the current state of journalism?

Not much, I'm afraid.