First looks and follow-ups

After all the coverage following Michael Mukasey's nomination to become the new attorney general, the New York Times article on his confirmation to that position today wraps up the story by reminding readers of the salient points of the process. The article includes a greater context for the political ramifications of his confirmation in the distant future by noting early on that the senators running for president did not vote to confirm him and in the near future by including comments from Senator Arlen Specter that the Justice Department needs Mukasey to straighten things out immediately. The article backtracks to days one and two of the confirmation hearings to encapsulate the main controversy surrounding Mukasey, his unwillingness to classify waterboarding as illegal torture. Overall, it's a great summary for someone who has not been following the news as it unfolded.

On the other hand, The Boston Globe reports a story still in the process of being sorted out in its article on allegations that a Catholic priest most recently based in a Stoneham parish has been stalking talk-show host Conan O'Brien. The article does not say whether the archdiocese of Boston would comment on the allegations but does include facts confirmed by the archdiocese about the priest's most recent assignments. It is clear that pieces of the puzzle are still missing, such as gaps in the priest's career history and his exact relation to O'Brien. Luckily, the story has yet to be sensationalized, and the Globe account is a balanced an unbiased one that sticks to the known facts and notes everything else as an allegation.

An article in the International Herald Tribune today also follows up an ongoing saga with a story on a meeting of Burmese government leaders. The article mentions all the potential obstacles to restoring any kind of democracy in that country. However, it does not note the obstacles to reporting on developments there. Several other news sources, including Reuters and a state-run Burmese newspaper, are attributed in the article. To be fully transparent, it seems the article ought to acknowledge what communication obstacles are still in place.