[andyk]

Also the original intent wasn't for the media to report an anonymous source as fact when a lot of time it is spin or outright lies and then have them shielded by the 1st amendment.

You got that right. There's way too much reliance on the use of anonymous sources. I don't know when reporters started incorporating the concept of being shielded from revealing sources into their interpretation of first amendment protection, but it always smelled fishy to me.

[PhiKapMom]

Always smelled fishy to me as well. Anonymous sources have become the standard instead of the exception.