I've been spending time the last few days responding to comments about things I never said, but which were disseminated across the World Wide Web as gospel. Some bloggers tend to exaggerate and use the bits that fit their argument, which can make for really interesting entries, if inaccurate ones.

That's a major difference between what you'll read in Laredo Morning Times Web and what you'll read on many blogs. Good journalism is based on accuracy and verification. We do make mistakes, much to my chagrin and as many of you have pointed out repeatedly, but the staff-written information that we print and post online has been verified with at least two sources. That's why sometimes you'll read something or hear something somewhere else and you won't see it in Laredo Morning Times at the same time. We want to break stories -- that means having them first -- but factual accuracy and verification are our priorities. We want to assure our readers that what they see in Laredo Morning Times is true.