Sanford Adultery Emails Suggested As Cure For Media Economy

As many of you know by now, the love that Mark Sanford shared with his Argentinean paramour played out in many, many emails, in which Sanford enumerated his feelings as best he could, not knowing how to use Powerpoint. These letters are like a modern day Griffin and Sabine of epistolary awkwardness, and a South Carolina newpaper, The State, sat on them for six months without reporting them out.

What's up with that? Sarabeth at 1115.org asks, "What were they waiting for exactly?" She goes on to opine, "If they had published those emails at any time up to one week ago, it would have served the public interest. To publish them yesterday, as they did, only served a prurient interest." But the tick-tock that the New York Times put together paints the picture of a newspaper that could simply not properly authenticate the emails until last week's events -- Sanford disappearing from the face of the earth without telling anyone where he was going -- ramped up the urgency and provided the vital evidence needed to start connecting the dots.

All of which sounds okay to me: Newspapers should have to clear a bar before broadcasting private, intimate correspondence. That's why this suggestion, from a Daily Kos contributor, sounds sort of slippery-slope to me:

An interesting side note to the Sanford scandal: The State Media Co. laid off 11 percent of its work force in March 2009. And this happened while the newspaper was sitting on Sanford emails they had received in December 2008.

I guess they didn't want to sell any additional copies at the time. After all, with increased revenues they might have been able to... Well, not lay off so many people. No wonder newspapers are going down in flames.

Who knew that the media economy depended so much upon adultery? With the future of journalism at stake, how can any of us afford to not cheat on our spouses?

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Comments

[kjo46]

I bet Sanford is thanking Michael Jackson for taking over the headlines.

[Bill777]

On the one had, sure with a subject like this you want to be sure of the veracity of the content but it seems a rather long time to take. I suspect an element of political cowardice here, or perhaps just overt political loyalty which, in journalism, should be even worse. There are some great interviews with top journalists about these issues and others influencing the future of journalism at http://www.ourblook.com/component/option,com_sectionex/Itemid,200076/id,8/view,category/#catid69

[WillCodeForCookies]

Now I know we have all misjudged the governor on his refusal of stimulus money. He really had another stimulus plan in mind.

In other news, I had to take a shower after perusing those emails! :p Mark you naughty boy!

[wassilij]

I can't wait for Sen. Lindsey Grahams lies to be exposed in main stream media.It's coming.

[wassilij]

I can't wait for Lindsey Grahm's expose to hit Mainstream media

[CarmanK]

The Lt. Governor looked ticked the other night on Rachel Maddow. He should be the governor of SC and against perhaps, Sanford can get on with his groveling. I hope Jenny gets plenty. And oh, if adultery is a crime in SC, perhaps it is time for the Attorney General needs to get started with the investigation.

[gonbald]

I remember a show "Sanford and son" about 30 years ago.
Is this going to be a new show called "Sanford and friend"?

[fds]

"Sanford Adultery Emails (sic) Suggested As Cure For Media Economy"

This is the most confusing and poorly written headline I have read on this website in a while.

You also misspelled e-mails.

[JoeLib]

I thought this guy was against stimulus packages!

[superstition]

"A smart Senate and House leader would immediately bring up for a vote the repeal of DOMA while the Republicans are reeling from their second (adultery) eruption in a week.

Let the Republicans start talking about the protection of traditional marriage. Just let them. If anything, the DOMA repeal FORCES the entire country to keep talking about the ongoing GOP sex scandals."

-- John Aravosis

Guess who else is holier than thou?
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html

[JoeLib]

You forget, for Politicians, DOMA means "Don't Out My Affairs!"

[mmlk]

What century are you living in. She told the hypocrite to take a hike. She's not the type he could make do anything. The only thing she made was his career.

[LMPE]

What a sorry world for Farrah Fawcett to die in.

[factotem]

What am I supposed to tell my children about you tw.isted h.eterosexuals? You're all so disg.usting and i.mmoral.

[WakeMeUpNow]

Maybe now Sanford understands why "offshore drilling" is not "politically correct

[LucyBelle97]

Maybe it was just a few core samples.

[WakeMeUpNow]

Perhaps, if he hadn't outsourced his mistress to a foreign country, I might let this issue go. But he put an American _itch out of a job! And diverted funds overseas... why give more taxpayer dollars to stimulate the Argentinian economy when our own Red Light Districts are hurting. Forget about Wall Street. What about Strip Row? Keep our Jobs here!

REPUBLICANS:

STOP OUTSOURCING OUR AMERICAN JOBS!

OFFSHORE DRILLING IS SO NOT COOL!