Media, marginalize thy self
A federal judge ruled this week that reporters must reveal anonymous sources related to the anthrax attack of 2001.
Naturally, major media is fighting the ruling, which is ironic when one considers it is major media itself that caused this clash in the first place. Indeed, while some argued it was causing irrevocable damage to journalists ability to do their job, it was full speed ahead as major media played cheerleader, and co-conspirator, while special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald bullied sources out of reporters in the Rove/Plame affair.
Now, the genie is out of the bottle and anonymous sources may soon become a thing of the past. Sources once willing to talk no longer have the expected protection, and it could soon be all but impossible for journalists to do good work without fear of subpeona.
In the search for a Karl Rove era legacy, the most far reaching effect is bound to be the serious erosion of freedom of the press, which was led by major media itself in its zeal to see him “frog-marched” out of the White House. As Rove prepares to walk (of his own free will) out of the White House at the end of the month, it now looks like the only damage media managed to cause was to itself.
On the other hand, they did get Bush, Rove, Cheney, Armitage, Scooter Libby. There has to be a bright side in there somewhere.