A BIG PROFILE OF ANDREW BREITBART IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Taking On the ‘Democrat-Media Complex’. Nice piece, but the conclusion is weak.

Even if one accepts Mr. Breitbart’s critique of the mainstream media, nobody should root for their downfall or destruction. Their role—that of impartial watchdog and broker of information—is a vital one, whether or not they perform it well. While Breitbart-style opinionated journalism can provide healthy competition, it cannot substitute for straight news. As Mr. Breitbart himself says, in an unusually modest moment, “I’m not looking to slay the dragon . . . but I wanted to embarrass the dragon into being a more reasonable dragon.”

The question is whether the dragon remains capable of embarrassment. And whether — forget performing their role well — the “mainstream” media still perform it at all. Recent evidence is not encouraging, and wishing that someone would perform that role doesn’t entail giving credit to those who could do so, but do not.