Today's NY Observer looks at the aftermath of Frank Foer's New York magazine profile of WMD inspector/NYT reporter Judith Miller. Her defenders point to Miller's death-defying reporting feats as proof of her sincerity. She's flown in rickety helicopters, survived fire-fights, talked back to Arab royalty, and -- perhaps most impressive -- "flouted Abe Rosenthal’s dictum about fucking the elephants and covering the circus." Or maybe that's a metaphor.
In any case, some people are giving Miller the kind of pass on moral responsibility that's usually reserved for dying kids and vice presidents. Miller defender Bill Keller opines, "It’s a little galling to watch her pursued by some of these armchair media ethicists who have never ventured into a war zone or earned the right to carry Judy’s laptop." First of all, we would like to know how you do earn the right to carry Miller's laptop, and if it's one of those cool bulletproof ones. As for armchair ethicists, we'll remember that the next time we see Dan Okrent fighting off Andrew Sullivan with a bullwhip and fedora.
Off the Record [NYO]
