Scooter Libby And The Media Debacle

As the facts of the White House cover-up now tumble out into open court, it's important to remember that if it hadn't been for Patrick Fitzgerald's work, this whodunnit would have faded into oblivion because lots of high-profile journalists at The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and NBC wanted it to. the Libby trial itself will be remembered for pulling back the curtain on the Bush White House as it frantically tried to cover up its intentional effort to mislead the nation to war. Sadly, the Libby trial will also serve as a touchstone for how the Beltway press corps completely lost its way during the Bush years. How it became afraid of the facts -- and the consequences of reporting them.

Read the full Media Matters column here.