Media Credibility

[Via Sideshow, Cliopatria]
The recent NYT-Wikipedia "incident" is quite indicative of the difference noted above: "conservatives" want to turn mainstream media into a Republican/corporate echo chamber; "liberals" want the media to return to a competent and energetic analytic watchdog role. The proof? Having noted a similarity between the amateur and frequently plagiarized Wikipedia and a professionally produced New York Times article, the "right" immediately assumed and trumpeted that the Times had plagiarized incorrect information from Wikipedia, instead of the truth (which was easily checked with the Wiki change tracker) which is that Wiki users had plagiarized correct (but poorly explained, particularly out of the article's context) information from the Times.

And, while I've got Instapundit on screen, let me point out that repeated appearances on Fox News and affiliates, while certainly a career of sorts, does not make some a booming mainstream voice. To Malkin's credit, she's been beating on the "pundits for hire" pretty good, but only because she wants to protect the credibility of conservative voices against... well, conservative corruption.