Glenn Greenwald hits the nail on the head with a post about the way the press is supposed to function in a democracy. Why is it notable when a paper actually does what it’s supposed to do? TV journalism is worse—their idea of a balanced presentation is to put two nutcases on from either end of the spectrum and let them flail at each other. Journalists spend all day immersed in current events, and they are supposed to be a guide to those of us who don’t have time or access. They are not there to tell us what to think, or to repeat wild accusations with a straight face. They are supposed to help us understand what is happening.

As Greenwald says: “All of this is the by-product of the well-documented and much-discussed journalistic myth that ‘objectivity’ requires mindless recitation of both sides's claims, and that it is improper and ‘biased’ to take sides. But as the Times article above documents, objectivity and meaningful journalism often requires taking sides, particularly where one side is making objectively false statements.”