Michael Kinsley: Whose Speech Is Free?

Friday, October 21, 2005; Page A23

Here in mediaworld, we're all quite cross at the New York Times and its former star reporter, Judith Miller. She is widely believed to have sought her martyrdom as a career move. And then she gave up after a mere couple of months in jail. What a wuss! And the Times: This great institution let a mere reporter lead it around by its nose, with predictable results. What a super-wuss!! But this latest blow to the reputation of the MSM (mainstream media) cannot be pinned on Miller or the Times. It is the result of a sentimental and self-indulgent view of journalism widely shared in mediaworld -- including by many of the journalists and media institutions now distancing themselves from Miller and the Times.