The difference between Mensch and an actual news source... [View all]
There seems to be two sides to this debate. The first side dismisses her as a conspiracy theorist who occasionally gets something right but, for the most part, feeds people her personal unsubstantiated opinion. The second side views Mensch as a independent investigator with a lot of connections that give her advanced access to inside information before other major news outlets.
I think the reality is that Mensch does not have any special access to insider information. She probably receives the same kind of tips and leaks as any other news source. The difference is a reputable news source will spend a good amount of time attempting to verify the information rather than working to guarantee they've scooped everyone else. If a tip does not possess enough factuality to publish, news agencies will sit on it until more information comes to light. A reputable agency is much more willing to risk being scooped than publish questionable news.
Mensch runs on the notion that all scooped news is good news. Her attention is given to making sure that she can hastily publish any tips she gets before any other source.
She sacrifices reliability for notoriety. That is not the mark of a true journalist.
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