Not Enough Navel Gazing

It's become a staple of modern media life, and a sure-fire ratings magnet for C-SPAN: after every Presidential election, journalistic bigfeet gather in important symposia to mull over the errors in coverage of the campaign, vowing to do better next time. Nothing real is accomplished, of course, except to depict media folks as thoughtful types who just get caught up in the horserace thing, but will try like hell to avoid it next time around.

But no presidential election has seen a larger number of false stories run with and amplified, and falser conclusions drawn therefrom, than Hurricane Katrina. Yet no newsy forum has been assembled for the journalistic potentates to gnash their teeth and rend their garments, to proclaim lessons learned and then return to the field to render them unlearned. I don't know whether to complain or be grateful.