Bloggers Filling In Where Reporters Leave Off

The ever-unfolding U.S. Attorney purge scandal has too many fascinating aspects to quickly detail, but one of the more intriguing facets of the affair is that mainstream media coverage of the scandal – coverage that ultimately led to Congress's investigation – was prompted by the diligent reporting of a blogger, Josh Marshall, who first started investigating the scandal at his blog, Talking Points Memo.

Josh is still in the middle of reporting on this shifting story. If you want to read two short pieces that eloquently and concisely sum up what all the hubbub is about, check out his bits on why the U.S. Attorney purge is a problem and why this isn't about Alberto Gonzales.

In a similar development earlier this year, Salon.com broke the Walter Reed neglect scandal (after its original reporting was amplified by the Washington Post), a scandal that ultimately led to top resignations and (one hopes) big changes.

Although I'm pleased that enterprising new media outlets are finding a niche for themselves through diligent, muckraking, yeoman's reporting, I'm dismayed that such work appears to be in the process of being outsourced from more conventional outlets to these smaller shops.