Tonic clarity and rueful perspective from Billmon at Whiskey Bar over the Reuters photo imbroglio, which has had the Pajamas Media ragpickers hyperventilating with self-congratulation and -importance("UPDATE: FIRESWARM! The Sphere is turning massive heat and light on this story...").
Quoting from the Reuters statement, Billmon notes that the photographer's deceptions consisted of using Photoshop to darken the smoke clouds and add a couple of additional flares. Journalistic no-no's, but not exactly crimes against humanity.
"Shocking, isn't it. Darker smoke. Two -- count 'em, two -- extra flares. What would Robert Capa have thought?
"The fact that our homegrown war porn aficionados apparently find this offense more atrocious than the vile crimes being committed in this war [my link, not Billmon's]-- by their side as well as by the officially designated terrorists -- speaks volumes about their ethical priorities, not to mention their sanitary habits."
Watching cable news over the last couple days, it's apparent there's a neat bifurcation when it comes to blogs and blogswarms.
The bloggers who deciphered the Reuters smoke signals: feisty, truth-driven, crackling examples of citizen journalism at its finest, and healthy for democracy.
The bloggers who championed Ned Lamont's candidacy and harried Joe Lieberman over Iraq: angry, spiteful, rabble-rousing, dangerous to democracy, and personally intimidating.
In short.
Conservative bloggers: heroic and brave.
Liberal bloggers: petty and craven.
P.S. Then again, maybe the cable newsers have a point. Because when you peer at the faces of certain liberal bloggers and see the anger and hate contorting their features, you can understand why Pat Caddell's beard grew a second skunk stripe virtually overnight, and why Lanny Davis is now wearing a beard and checking into hotels under false names, for fear he'll get de-pantsed at the ice machine by blog vigilantes.
