A Warning for Media -- Likely to Be Ignored

OBAMA 'MUSLIM SCHOOL' MISTAKE A WARNING FOR MEDIA -- LIKELY TO BE IGNORED
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
Chances are "about 100 percent" that a candidate will be ruined by a story that he or she hasn‘t anticipated, said ABC News political reporter Jake Tapper. "A long and protracted campaign like we‘re going to see means you‘re going to have long periods with not much news and news outlets are going to want to fill the void," said Tom Rosenstiel, a former political reporter for the Los Angeles Times and now director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "In some ways, there are more openings for opposition research, dirty tricks, to get into play." Before the Internet‘s spread, a newsroom used to have only a handful of news sources coming into their computers, said Marty Ryan, political director at Fox News Channel. Being careful about the facts is a lesson drummed into every journalist. But opinion-based talk shows aren‘t run by journalists. They‘re a staple of Fox‘s lineup and spreading around other cable news outlets. Television quickly magnifies stories that might have been forgotten or not even noticed otherwise, with Howard Dean ‘s scream an infamous example. Remember: Most Americans did not have three cable news networks in their homes until the 2000 campaign. Similarly, it wasn‘t too long ago that the only Web site political professionals watched carefully was the Drudge Report. Now, there are dozens of political blogs that must be monitored.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003538562

* Feeding Frenzy for a Big Story, Even if It’s False
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/us/politics/29media.html?ref=todayspaper