I want it to be true more than anyone. But Mensch, Schindler and Taylor are hurting our credibility

[regnaD kciN]

21. It's always a judgment call...

One needs to look at every claim, its likelihood, the reputation and track record of those reporting it. Sometimes, one can implicitly trust the reliability of a story; other times, reject it out of hand. Then, there's a third category, where such factors are inconclusive enough that the only sensible conclusion is that it might be the case, but you need to hold off on a final judgment until more facts come to light.

The point is, there's just as much danger, with the middle-ground cases, of jumping to a reflexive rejection as an uncritical acceptance. Think back to 1972: "Watergate? Who's reporting that's significant? A couple of minor-league stringers for the Post? And they're basing it on secret info from some anonymous guy they meet in an abandoned garage? With a porn-film pseudonym? Please…until I see a story with recognizable sources, covered by a James Reston or New York Times, this whole thing is nothing but clickbait" (or its 1970s equivalent).