The written tone and the spoken tone change and the reporters' disbelief in the veracity of the government spreads to the readers and the viewers.

The ethics of editorial judgement, however, began to go though a sea change during the late 1970s and 80s when the Carter and Reagan Administrations de-regulated the television industry.

And what it depends on, of course, is whether the story itself is worth the ethical compromise it requires and whether the competition is onto the story.

No matter what name we give it or how we judge it, a candidate's character is central to political reporting because it is central to a citizen's decision in voting.

In exchange for power, influence, command and a place in history, a president gives up the bulk of his privacy.

The networks found themselves having to compete for an increasingly Balkanized audience.

Journalists, who are skeptical to begin with, simply do not like to be lied to or made fools of.