links for 2010-07-05

A recent story of critical importance to Scotland was the UN’s recent report on Scotland being the number one consumer of cocaine in the entire globe. It was covered by Lewis Smith at The Independent and Mark McGivern at the Scottish Daily Record and STV with a straight bat; while the BBC reported it with an emphasis on the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) doing a sterling job. The story is now a week old and yet only 4 media outlets have covered it and worse, covered in a totally cursory manner.

Many US newspapers have simply become pale, quivering shadows of what they once were.
"Once, they aggressively scrutinised the powerful and exposed secrets, but they have — with some exceptions — become mouthpieces for the powerful, enablers of propaganda and prim schoolmarms when it comes to telling people what they want to know.