I don't know how many people got the email. Subsequent interviews led me to the conclusion Enloe was not the reason for the withdrawal, that in fact there is no smoking gun related to the county's decision unless a lot of people are lying. As I turned this situation over in my head, I kept coming back to the conclusion that the real power of the Internet as an information source lies in the fact that no one controls it. Again, I do not know how many people received the e-mail. I don't know how many people still think that Enloe was the cause of the withdrawal.
Good reporters live and die by the credibility they build with their contacts, sources and readers.
If that relationship is compromised, the entire foundation that has turned newspapers into our number one source for information crumbles. As a journalist, I can't help but see the strength and power of the Internet. It's so obvious it doesn't need an explanation. For one, there is the real potential for a complete dismantling and corruption of long-established journalistic standards. People may decry the fact that some stories are printed, that they are put on the front page with huge headlines, or that some additional facts are missing.