Now It's Sarah Palin vs. the Media

The Week takes on the new Sarah Palin vs. The Media squabble over the fact-checking of her book, "Going Rogue." Here are some of its findings:

"The blogosphere has been busy truth-squading [Sarah Palin's new memoir] 'Going Rogue,' reports The New York Times, calling the Associated Press's debunking of the book's claims an unusually "sharp-elbowed" dispatch. Conservative blogs have posted detailed rebuttals, and Palin herself, via her Facebook account, has condemned the AP's decision to devote 11 fact-checkers to produce "erroneous" "opposition research" when they could have been fact-checking "Sheik Mohammed's trial, Pelosi's health care takeover costs, [and] Hasan's associations." Is Palin wise to wage war against perceived media bias? (Watch a discussion on whether the media treats Sarah Palin fairly)

The excessive AP attack justifies Palin's angry defense: This media abuse has gotten ridiculous, says Mark Steyn in National Review. The AP "assigned 11 writers to 'fact-check' Sarah Palin’s new book," and the resulting 695-word report came up with nothing even remotely "earth-shattering." So "if you wonder why American newspapering is dying..."

Fighting with the press never ends well: "Going to war with the Associated Press is as dumb as going to war with Fox News," says Don Surber in the Charleston Daily Mail. Just ask President Obama. "Sarah Palin should leave the criticism of the media to others. We like our leaders a little above the fray."

With her shrewd counterattack, Palin is channeling Reagan: Ronald Reagan didn't fight with the media, says Dan Riehl in Riehl World View. Instead, "he went over the media's head directly to the American people." By exploiting Facebook and the like, Palin's doing much the same thing. And "don't be surprised if it works, even as the media and some old-line politicos point how what a bad idea it is."