Updated with further information 6/27/10
The exposure of e-mails from a liberal listserv, known as the JournoList, of former Washington Post blogger David Weigel, that eventually resulted in his resignation at the Washington newspaper, set off an explosion of chatter this weekend recycling the usual debate over media bias, off-the-record statements, personal friendships among journalists who may not see eye to eye on issues, and professional betrayal.
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Much analysis has been made over the issue that the JournoList was off-the-record, and some on the Left believe Weigel was betrayed by whomever leaked those e-mails to both the Daily Caller and The DC Fish Bowl. This may be true. However, Weigel may have leaked off-the-record information on the JournoList itself. Let’s just say Weigel was not the only one who was betrayed in this regard. Why is liberal off-the-record information more sacrosanct than the leaked conservative sourced off-the-record information?
I spoke with Weigel on Sunday evening about the issue, and it appears he knows he made a mistake in sharing this information, saying that he could not defend what he did.
Ezra Klein, Weigel’s former colleague at WaPo, headed up the listserv of liberal journalists. Klein claims he has shut down the listserv in light of the Weigel debacle. However, just because one list closes does not mean another list is not created by somebody else or that everybody on JournoList will not migrate to another listserv already in existence.
People enjoy communicating among one another within their specialties—journalists and bloggers especially.
Weigel will likely be picked up at another outlet very soon, as liberal media have paid close attention to his work for some time, so expect to see him back online in the near future. Below is a list of links, both conservative and liberal, of those following this story:
Big Journalism: In Dave Weigel ‘Resignation’ Aftermath, Washington Post Still Living In a Fantasy Land
Salon: David Weigel resigns because old media can’t have nice things
Politics Daily: Dave Weigel’s Resignation From Washington Post Divides Conservatives
Hot Air: Is there any such thing as “off the record”?
AJC: Dave Weigel, Stan McChrystal shared a mistake, and a fate
Riehl World View: Beyond Weigel: While the legacy media sleeps, new-media sleuths get the scoop
Think Progress: Lobbying firm director Demands That WaPo Fire Blogger For Not Being ‘Unbiased Bystander’
Mediaite: Who screwed Dave Weigel?
NY Times: Post Blogger Quits After Limbaugh, Drudge Comments Were Made Public
The Atlantic: The Thing About Dave
Blue Virginia: A Few Thoughts on Dave Weigel
The Village Voice: The Sad, Bulls*** Story of Washington Post Blogger Dave Weigel’s Resignation
The Daily Caller: The Daily Caller’s publisher Neil Patel on Dave Weigel, Washington Post and JournoList
The Washington Post: Blogger loses job; Post loses standing among conservatives
The Other McCain: Dave Weigel Violates Rule One
