They Paid, Yes. But They Got the Story!

Paying for sources is shady. It’s tabloidy. It’s not good journalistic practice. But the fact of the matter is: Newsweek didn’t get the Edwards story, the Times didn’t get the Edwards story, the tabloid trash got the story—and whether or not they paid for it, it all turned out to be effing true. So, make it clear that you’ve paid for your sources, for sure, and all of us mainstream media elites will judge you, most definitely. But maybe we could all learn something from the Enquirer’s shoe-leather reporting—and whether it happened before or after the $$ is besides the point.