Credit where credit is due

I dog the media with the best of them, so it is only fair that when a news organization does something small but significant that I give them credit for it. In a little noticed story, UPI tells of being fed a tip by the Democratic Underground and Democrats.com. The tip was that an award worn by Bush on his ANG uniform was not legit, and he could have been dishonorably discharged for wearing it. UPI, showing a professionalism beyond that of CBS, followed up on the tip, only to find that Bush had earned the award during basic duty. Kudos to UPI for doing something small but vital to there trade-verifying a story. I'm especially fond of UPI's jab at CBS in the final paragraph:

The news of the Air Force and White House disproving the allegations about the Bush medal came Friday, as CBS News and other news organizations were reeling from the disclosure that they had published or aired possibly forged documents about Bush's military service record.

The source of the CBS story has not been disclosed, but CBS is conducting an internal investigation into the controversy.

UPI did name their source, by the way.

A special thank you to reader Gene Koprowski who sent me the link. Good luck with your new book in the spring. [The Genius of Imitation: How to Profit by Using Others' Ideas in New Ways. Seven Imitation Strategies That Drive the Success of Marketplace Leaders (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., Spring 2005, bkconnection.com)]