SHARYL ATTKISSON: “I’VE NEVER SEEN JOURNALISTS SO UNCURIOUS ABOUT SPYING” On Tucker Carlson’s show last night, Attkisson pointed out that in her extensive experience as a political and investigative journalist, she has never seen reporters so obliquely refuse to read — let alone report on — a government document. Carlson nails it when he says it’s stunning to hear reporters (who by trade are trained to seek out as much information as possible) say “tell me no more.”

Now you may believe that Nunes is a dope, a stooge, a liar, crazy (or in the fevered mind of Representative Schiff, a Russian agent). But that sidesteps the real issue for me as a journalist and media ethics specialist. As Attkisson points out, our newsrooms have never been so heavily populated with political operatives, and I would add that too many reporters are so saturated with fear and loathing of Trump that committment to their core principle (“Seek Truth and Report It“) has been swept aside. Read the documents, evaluate them for their probity and *then* decide what is and isn’t reportable. To go backwards and discredit anything because of Nunes’ shortcomings (which are many) is a public disservice.