Defend Newspapers or Defend Reporting?

I want to share with you a quote:

"When I was first elected, members of the legislature feared the press. For example, the Capital Times was a true crusading paper with a mission to hold politicans to the highest standard. Many a time, safely behind closed doors, I saw a dubious move that was contemplated dropped like a hot rock when someone would say, "If we did that, the Capital Times would crucify us."

Later in my tenure, newspapers started to confuse criticism of the legislature with investigative journalism. They were either at a politician's feet, lavishing praise, or at the throat, heaping scorn, and they ceased to strike fear because of it."

Tom Loftus, the Art of Legislative Politics, pages 160,161.

Tell me something, does anyone fear the CapTimes now? I loved Bill Lueder's defense of newspapers here, but what about a newspaper that doesn't engage in tough investigative reporting? Well I just don't know if that is something to be feared and respected. Regardless of what I think of the Isthmus' reporting, I just have to respect them because they do tough reporting and expose things to the light of day (look at their coverage of the Dane County 911 Center). Does anyone think the CapTimes does tough reporting? And again, do they scare anybody? What's more important, a newspaper or investigative reporting?