When I first became a journalist more than thirty years ago, we had something called the "two-source rule" when it came to serious accusations that would harm a public figure's reputation.
Our rule was that the information had to come from two separate sources not connected to each other, and what they said had to be checked out as far as possible.
The credibility of both sources also had to be examined. If there was reason to believe their reasons for trashing someone were self-serving, you were reluctant to give them credibility.
And you almost never allowed anonymous attacks. The idea was sort of like the one governing our legal system; a defendant is presumed to be innocent till proven guilty.
Now, that wasn't a perfect system, nor did we always execute it perfectly, but as an ethical guide, it made a lot of sense.
Today, however, that seems to have been replaced by a new rule. Now, anyone can say anything about any public figure, no matter how outrageous, and we will speedily publicize it.
Two nights ago, I heard on a commercial radio station a report that it had now been established that the legendary Manoogian Mansion party involving then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and strippers not only took place, but that Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox took part in it. I was stunned.
If true, this would not only seem to spell doom for Cox's gubernatorial campaign. It would appear to indicate that the attorney general was guilty of covering up a criminal conspiracy.
Then I got to my computer and examined the evidence. All this was based on a Detroit TV station's interview with a lawyer who says a motorcycle club member gave him a sworn statement saying he was at the rumored party eight years ago and saw these things.
Turns out the accuser, one Wilson Kay Jr. has been convicted of numerous felonies, and has now mysteriously vanished. Nor is the lawyer who has the affadavit, one Norman Yatooma, an impartial party either. He is suing Detroit on behalf of the family of an dead exotic dancer who was rumored to be at the rumored party.
Attorney General Cox denies any involvement, and I tend to believe him. The alleged party would have happened while he was running hard in the closest attorney general race in Michigan history. For Cox, a Republican, to risk everything for a sordid frolic with a bunch of Detroit Democrats seems crazy.
But by trumpeting an ex-con's unproven claims, the media made this all seem established fact. And some people will thereby always think Cox is guilty. This comes, by the way, only weeks after a woman got massive publicity for claiming former Vice President Al Gore tried to sexually assault her years ago.
Never mind that the police dismissed her case for lack of evidence.
Never mind that she only made her charges years after the event, flunked a polygraph and had other credibility problems.
Never mind that the woman first made her charges anonymously and wanted a million dollars for her story.
We gave her claims extensive publicity. Behavior like this may be protected by our right to free speech. But it isn't journalism, it isn't responsible, and it isn't what Michigan, the nation or the media need.
I think we should all be a little ashamed.
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