Most liberals have no problem identifying Fox News as a conservative outlet and conservatives have no hesitation identifying CNN, the New York Times and the Los Angles Times as all leaning hard to the left. Once those filters are in place, we subconsciously look to have our point-of-view substantiated. Every time the NY Times runs a story critical of the President, it proves they are anti-American and every Fox story supporting our actions in Iraq prove they are in the pocket of big business, most particularly oil.

But, no matter how you view the press, it is unarguable that they have an extraordinarily difficult job do to, a responsibility greater than most of us deal with day-to-day and decisions made in a short time frame that can immediately and directly impact individuals and even the nation or the world. Like it or not, what the NY Times says on the front page or in an editorial carries weight worldwide.

Recently the print press, most prominently the NY Times, has taken quite a hit for breaking a story regarding the federal government and their efforts to trace terrorists by following money. It is well worth noting that in addition to the NY Times and the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, long considered a friend to conservatives, broke the story on the same day.

Responses range from “This is the responsibility of the press, break stories as they find them and let the American people sort it out and react as they see fit” to “It was a treasonous act and the media outlets who ran with story should be prosecuted.”

The Washington Post ran an article about a similar situation that took place in 1979 during the Iranian hostage crisis. It is a fascinating study of the Solomon like decisions the press is called on to make and how an individual and an industry responded.

After reading the article, it is fair to ask that in today’s environment (so many different media outlets, so much competitive pressure and news being viewed more as a tool for profits rather than a civic / corporate responsibility) – would the reaction have been the same?

I’m afraid that if forced to answer, I would say no. Given the same set of circumstances in today’s environment, it is almost impossible to believe that the story would not have been broken, regardless of the cost. Your thoughts?