Ax to grind
Some comments questioned if NY Times reporters ever wondered about the motivations of the tipster who led the paper to the Spitzer hooker story. The irony is that an Albany paper got in trouble and lambasted for not vetting a tipster when the paper wrote about a state senator's travels last year The connection? It was Spitzer's people who leaked it and who are now under investigation for it.
Most reporters and editors take into account motivations behind leaks, but it's usually the veracity and importance of the tip that trumps. And the reality is that state senator, Joe Bruno, is still being investigated by the FBI.