So Peter Arnett was fired this morning. According to reports, it's because of what he said on Iraqi television. I am one of those who could only think to myself, 'what the hell was he thinking?'

But to me the REAL firing offense would put a lot of reporters out of work. The problem here is not just what he said. The problem is that he has been interviewed so often that he figured another one wouldn't matter. And in doing so, Arnett became the story - for which he should be fired. It seems to me this happens whenever a reporter is interviewed by another reporter - regardless of the subject matter or the program. Responsible news organizations should make it harder for reporters to interview reporters - and responsible journalists should just say no when asked.

UPDATE: Slate's Jack Shafer sums this up quite nicely.