Platner denied this too.
Within days, Platner ended his Senate campaign. Democrats scrambled to find a replacement, sparking blame-shifting and finger-pointing.
Did Journalism Do Its Job?
In the big picture, reporters succeeded in uncovering the truth, though not with flawless timing.
The initial Times story was cautious, but subsequent reporting from Politico, CNN, and the Washington Post built a fuller picture.
Betsy Morais of Columbia Journalism Review noted, 'Reporting on sexual violence is an extraordinarily difficult, sensitive task, and there are often serious questions of timing and approach.'
Times representatives said they published what they could verify as timely as possible.
Hindsight suggests earlier, more definitive reporting might have changed the primary outcome, but such investigations do not follow a convenient timeline.
As sources decide to say more and new sources emerge, the story evolves.
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Journalism remains the 'first rough draft of history,' and in Maine's Senate race, the ink is still wet.
