I thought "Time" magazine would select Scott Peterson as its "Person of the Year." When events embarrassing to the political establishment were being energetically reported by the foreign press, alternative American news services, and the Internet, the establishment media was doing its best to deflect public attention to more "entertaining" stories: Michael Jackson's and Martha Stewart's legal difficulties, the Kobe Bryant case, and Janet Jackson's Super Bowl performance, were useful diversions for "inquiring minds" who "want to know." But as the longest-running distraction - spanning the entire year - no one proved a more reliable and consistent source of copy or taped footage for the system than Scott Peterson.
