Newsweek

So, Newsweek has retracted its story about Koran desecration, a story based largely on anonymous sources. Over at Eschaton, folks are spending time trying to deflect attacks on Newsweek for its article causing riots and subsequent deaths. I think such defense of Newsweek is a bit misguided here. Atrios has been railing against the use of anonymous sources for some time, and Newsweek should be accountable in some respect for the ill effects of irresponsible stories.

If there is a defense to be made, it is that Newsweek's retraction represents a rare occurrence among today's media, one that ought to be seen more often given the number of poorly-sourced ambiguities and patent falsehoods published.