How do insider Journalists cover stories?

I of course assume everyone reads Hullabaloo by Digby, Tristero, and poputonian, but it is always good to point out a few posts that resonate: This one on conventions of modern journalism:

One of the silliest conventions of modern journalism is that the press can't tell a story if "the other side" isn't screaming about it. Republicans are always screaming (and often are the ones feeding the scandal to the press in the first place) so it's very easy to find that hook. Democrats don't have the institutional infrastructure to successfully manufacture scandals and are often slow off the mark in seeing real ones, so the press doesn't feel they have any reason to pursue them. (And I guess stories about crass political patronage, even in the justice department, just aren't considered news anymore. That's a sad comment all by itself.)

[snip]

In the case of the US Attorney purge, it was left to the victim to be brave enough to come forward before the mainstream press saw a story --- and likely it was mostly because the man who did it was an evangelical Christian and a Republican that made them take notice.

The problem here is that many in the press seem to see their role as some sort of referee and conduit for the two parties instead of independent fact finders and purveyors of truth.

Link


And also check out a post that has stayed with me for weeks.
The Incompetence Dodge

Digby should really get a Pulitzer for the consistent brilliant insight and excellent writing. What's that phrase that Mike Meyer's used, "We're not worthy!" As BBB always says, "Just go read Digby" (BBB is the new nickname for Atrios, which is in response to calling Kos "The Great Orange Satan". Just so you know.)