In the case of the BuzzFeed story, I’m guessing there probably weren’t a lot of Trump voters involved in that editorial process. In the case of the Covington students, it is clear that their identities—privileged young white Catholic men smirking and wearing red MAGA hats—cast them as villains and triggered many media elites. We know this because they told us as much.

In fairness to my colleagues, some commentators did exercise patience—just not enough.

In the case of the BuzzFeed story, the piece was up for almost a day before the Special Counsel’s Office weighed in, in an extremely rare statement, saying the reporting was not accurate. By that time, even the most prudent and cautious commentator might have reasoned that it was an uncontested story.

Likewise, the narrative about the Covington kids menacing a Native American veteran went virtually uncontested all day Saturday before longer videos and different perspectives finally surfaced, suggesting the kids were not bigoted but immature (you know, like high school kids).