It's called "reporting"

Nobody wants her newspaper to become part of the story. I can tell you from experience that hearing a senator or governor call a press conference to denounce you is no fun.

But when it happens – as it did, big time, in Boise yesterday – wouldn't it be nice to be able to stand up tall and issue a statement like this one from Bill Manny, managing editor of the Idaho Statesman?

As our story today demonstrated, we followed leads and asked questions. We worked hard and behaved responsibly, not publishing a story until it was ready. We didn’t print anything until the senator pleaded guilty. Our story outlined what we’ve done and it speaks for itself.

In Sen. Larry Craig's only public statements Tuesday about the story of his arrest in an airport bathroom, he blamed what he characterized as relentless, vicious harassment by the Statesman for creating the stress that made him plead guilty.

I haven't been involved in this story and will leave it to the capable journalists at the paper to respond as they see fit. But I do know this: when other papers and outlets in the region were relying on unsubstantiated blog postings for stories, Statesman staffers were doing something different. They were reporting.