Don't get cocky, kid

Looks like the blogosphere has added another scalp (Trent Lott, Dan Rather) to its collection, now that Eason Jordan has called it quits. (Conveniently on a late Friday afternoon, so it'll get less play in the press.)

Just a few thoughts. Yes, it's true, a few years ago, Jordan would have gotten away with his outrageous comments without the blogs to keep the story alive. But let's not get too full of ourselves. (Not possible for Pajama Guy.) As useful and exciting as blogs are, the actual news still comes almost solely from official (and paid) news sources. Blogs are great at commenting--they've rightly broken the editorial monopoly of the regular media--and they're also good at checking out the veracity of various claims, but they're rarely the ones on the ground collecting the info to begin with, which is the main purpose of the media.

Blogs are like copy boys who notice something is amiss, and, after checking things (on their own time), tug at the real reporters to get them to stick to a story since there's more (or less) than has been noticed.

In his statement, Jordan denies he said anything like it's claimed he said, and that he wasn't "as clear" as he should have been. If this is true, I suggest he stick to his guns, and not be forced out by those who mischaracterize him; but if he's actually quitting because he knows when the truth comes out it won't be good, then I understand.

My favorite part is right at the beginning--he's leaving because he doesn't want CNN to be "unfairly tarnished" by the controversy. This reminds me of Norm McDonald's gag about how Paula Barbieri didn't want to marry OJ because she was afraid if she did she would be murdered and he would be falsely blamed for it.