The Junior Varsity Finger-Wagging Team over at the Columbia Journalism Review ("America's Premier Media Monitor"!) breaks new ground with a history of "fake news." Guess what? It was around before Jon Stewart! Verily, they tell a tale of deception and shoddy reporting dating back before the sinking of the Maine. A gem of history: "Even twenty true words cabled from London about an Indian Ocean hurricane could grow to a story ten times that length, padded out with imaginary details and encyclopedia facts. Mo' words, mo' money." We're not actually suggesting that you go and read the whole piece, because, honestly, life is too short—but if you've some spare time today and are wondering why liberals are so ineffectual and "media monitors" universally inspire the "suck it through my jeans" reflex in even the most mild-mannered reader, here awaits some great evidence.

Before Jon Stewart [CJR]