The Media's Growing Spine

From today's Studio Briefing

ANCHOR WILLIAMS FORECASTS ANCHORS WILL GROW TOUGHER WITH GOVERNMENT Acknowledging that after the 9/11 attacks four years ago, journalists had offered to government leaders "a preponderance of the benefit of the doubt," NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams said over the weekend that covering the inept response of government to Hurricane Katrina may bring "a healthy amount of cynicism back to a news media known for it." Indeed, several reporters who were most diligent in holding officials' feet to the fire have had their reputations burnished by their passionate coverage of the hurricane aftermath, particularly Fox's Shepard Smith (who was invited to appear on David Letterman's show), CNN's Anderson Cooper, CBS's Tracy Smith, and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough.

Also, check out Brian Williams on The Daily Show from last week. I continue to be impressed by this guy.