WASHINGTON POST: Rolling Stone whiffs in reporting on alleged rape. “This lapse is inexcusable: Even if the accused aren’t named in the story, Erdely herself acknowledges that ‘people seem to know who these people are.’ If they were being cited in the story for mere drunkenness, boorish frat-boy behavior or similar collegiate misdemeanors, then there’d be no harm in failing to secure their input. The charge in this piece, however, is gang rape, and so requires every possible step to reach out and interview them, including e-mails, phone calls, certified letters, FedEx letters, UPS letters and, if all of that fails, a knock on the door. No effort short of all that qualifies as journalism.”

Funny, the Rolling Stone fact-checkers in Almost Famous seemed super-rigorous. Of course, that was for a story that made rock stars look bad. . . .

Related: Thoughts from K.C. Johnson, who has some experience with such things.