If you missed the discussion between Fran Kelly, Margo Kingston and Glen Milne on Radio National this morning, have listen to the audio.

Two fascinating questions got floated. The first asked if, in pursuit of stories, journalists become instruments of political factions. The second, in a nice inversion of the week’s big question in politics, questioned whether David Penberthy is too young to be editor of the Telegraph.

Dave and I have performed It’s Tragedy in private karaoke rooms off Dixon Street, so I have to rule myself out from any talk on the second issue – but that first one is a cracker.

Some moronic rumours are flying around NSW Liberal circles. That makes it harder to investigate some of the other, more credible talk about former staff, lobbyists, PR types, the Lane Cove mafia and their role in how the Brogden story played out.

And while The Daily Telegraph may have gone too far, questions should be asked about other media outlets, too. The Sydney Morning Herald carried a detailed and good opinion piece by acting editor Mark Scott yesterday headed When the story becomes the story, but that still seemed like an apologia. Did the media outlets that decided not to report the story earlier effectively fail to hold a public figure to account – and then let them get away with an ethically dubious cover-up?

“We don’t report who the pollies are f*cking because it is normally we journos being f*cked. If we report their activities we get reported on,” one member of the Canberra Gallery has observed. But why not follow up what was under discussion on RN this morning and report on who is doing the f*cking over? What about the Liberals who were peddling the dirt file?

Two nights of heavy negotiations about leadership – but mainly about protecting preselection – went on in Sydney during the week. We’ve heard little about the detail of them, either.

The relationship between journalists and sources can sometimes be closer to mutually assured destruction that mutual dependence, but either way the public misses out.

Rather than just slagging the Tele, more journos need to remember that it’s their job to keep the bastards honest.