Yesterday, Franklin Foer kept it real with himself and New Republic readers and admitted that the Baghdad Diarist was on the Stephen Glass side of truth.

And it wouldn’t be a real media controversy without Jack Shafer weighing in. His opinion? The New Republic took a chance on a young, embedded reporter, BFD:

The take-home lesson of Beauchamp isn't that young or novice writers should never be given a chance. … Experienced writers whose lengthy résumés include awards and credentials can swindle their editors every bit as fast as a kid.

Just goes to shows that Jack Shafer is unafraid of taking risks or using bold. That’s just the kind of editor he is.

So The New Republic is willing to admit what the Weekly Standard knew along. No, not that trickle down economics works, but that the Baghdad Diarist is not real.

After a long investigation, and an even longer editor’s letter, Franklin Foer says that Baghdad Diarist Scott Thomas Beauchamp is filled with the same stuff as promises from the US Army :

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• How fun would it be to throw Donald Trump into the Les Moonves vs. Howard Stern brawl? [Page Six]

• Orioles pitcher Kris Benson sells his wife to FHM. [Mediaweek]

• In the economics of magazine exchange rates, three years of Blender equals one year of Cargo. We wonder how many Details you need to make a GQ? Like, 3.75, maybe? [Ad Age]

• We didn't believe anyone wanted it at first, either, but, Keith Kelly’s “exclusive” of the day tells us what we already know. One last time, everybody, Hartle Media bought Spin. [NYP]

• Franklin Foer somehow managed to change jobs without loosing any blood. Amazing, because he seems kind of like a guy who would get punched in the face a lot. [NYT]