Chatanooga Editor's Response to HillbillyArmorGate (TM)

(From my non-jounro/ anti-theologicopolitico readers -- Skip to Britney's Stinky Feet)

Poynter runs the whole letter in full, The Corsair is only running the last few paragraphs (hey, it's a very very slow newsFriday today but not that slow, this is not C-Span at 1:15 AM, people), in response to yesterdays DrudgeReport on the planted Rummy question (re: yesterday's Corsair):

"This editor's note in Friday's Chattanooga Times Free Press is behind a subscription wall, but executive editor Tom Griscom says he'd like to share it with ROMENESKO readers.

"From the publisher: An explanation to our readers

"Tom Griscom Publisher and Executive Editor

"... Questions have been raised as to whether Mr. Pitts used the soldier or put words in his mouth. While Mr. Pitts states that he discussed the armor question with the soldiers, Spc. Wilson chose to ask the question.

"Bob Steele, an ethicist with the Poynter Institute, said, 'Lee Pitts used some enterprise in how he went about getting that question on the table. From an ethical standpoint, he certainly needed to be honest with the soldiers about what he was doing -- that he wanted them to ask his question. My impression is that is what he did. I don't see any form of deceit in what he did.

"Mr. Steele said the newspaper and the reporter had a responsibility to readers to be clear on the front end about the reporter?s role in the question. That is correct. In hindsight, information on how the question was framed should have been included in Thursday?s story in the Times Free Press. It was not.

"Mr. Pitts used the tools available to him as a journalist to report on a story that has been and remains important to members of the 278th and those back at home."

"This editor?s note provides background on how the information was obtained."

That sounds like the sensible resolution we mentioned, which is all good. But we were kind of hoping to see FoxNews go up against The Chatanooga Times Editorial Staff in a Bring-Your-Own-Foreign-Object streetfight tag team cage match. We were hoping that might be broadcast on C-Span 2's "Booknotes TV," with the weak-tea mild Brian Lamb doing color commentary. Alas, the ethicists and ombudsmen -- damn them (shakes fist)!