His flaw was the flip side of his virtue. Once convinced he was right, Webb didn't budge. It wasn't that his facts were wrong: It was the lines he drew between them. His lack of doubt demanded a firm editor to challenge him.
A reporter who doesn't listen well cannot be considered either talented or compassionate. Mr. Webb (like Mary Mapes and many others) clearly was engaged in the oxymoronic "advocacy journalism" which has damaged so much of the credibility of the MSM.
"Drawing lines" between facts and refusing to doubt one's conclusions sounds more like the work of a lawyer than a reporter. You want to be an advocate? Get your J.D. (much harder than a B.A. in journalism), pass the bar (much more difficult than setting up shop with a newspaper), and get to work. Or start your own newspaper and use the Op-Ed page for your advocacy. Otherwise, stick to determining what all the facts are as best you can, verifying the veracity of your sources, and then reporting "the story" clearly and well to your readers.
Pays about 7 to 10 times as much, too! (No exaggeration there.)