U.S. media have lost the will to dig deep

In an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times, BBC reporter Greg Palast notes that several important political stories of the last several years were spiked by American media, or held back until they were no longer relevant; that the cost of investigative journalism is prohibitive in a cash-short, instant-deadline industry; that editors are afraid to venture out with a story until there is some official investigation or allegation made by a politician to provide cover; that investigative journalism is avoided because it risks jeopardizing future access to politicians and the corporate elite.

The rest of the story: The Los Angeles Times