Rutten begins with the John Edwards' mistress/love child story, the mainstream media's refusal to report it until forced by "the alternative and new media," and the MSM's unequal treatment of stories of salacious behavior by Democrats and Republicans. He observes:
The (National) Enquirer went with the story, and when no major newspaper or broadcast outlet even reported the existence of the tabloid story, bloggers and online commentators redoubled their demands that the mainstream media explain their silence.
Rutten finally concludes:
With that (Edwards) admission, the illusion that traditional print and broadcast news organizations can establish the limits of acceptable political journalism joined the passenger pigeon on the roster of extinct Americana.
....Rest in peace....
