As I read an American Journalism Review article about the Duke lacrosse case, the following passage reminded me of our earlier discussion of “climate change denial”:
The lessons of the media’s rush to judgment and their affair with a sensational, simplistic storyline rank among journalism’s most basic tenets: Be fair; stick to the facts; question authorities; don’t assume; pay attention to alternative explanations.
If you read the Newsweek cover story, you might question whether Sharon Begley followed those five basic tenets.