Most purists would agree the standards applied to the field of journalism have declined during recent years. From tawdry periodicals to the proliferation of the Internet, the art of the written word has been spread thin. At one time, there were hard and fast rules adhered to by reporters, columnists and authors which gave the practice of journalism continuity. Today, as in other professional and artistic forms, rules no longer seem to matter and with this new paradigm has come a devolution of journalistic standards. A case in point regarding how the lines between journalism and gossip have become blurred...