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"it would be almost impossible for anyone within government to provide anything other than "the party line", and thus almost impossible possible for reporter to write knowledgably about politics and foreign affairs"

Dunno. Think the press usually gets about half the story and gets it half WRONG. After the press grinds whatever axe they care to grind, the issues involved are about as recognizable as a 5th generation copy of a video tape.

And, surely, nobody thinks the need to show accountability has stopped any of the UK press.

Do we really NEED front-page articles in the New York times about the CIA's airline operating out of South Carolina???

And, surely, nobody thinks the need to show accountability has stopped any of the UK press.

Well, in fact it does - at least as far as regards "government leaks", the biggest difference is that the UK press is subject to "prior restraint" on such issues.

Of course in the UK the political opposition plays a much more direct role of "devils advocate" in somewhat the same way that the press does here: Tony Blair has to respond directly to questions from the opposition in Parliament, President Bush does not have appear in front of Congress to be interrogated by Democrats.