If you have 10 minutes, you might want to read "Ethics in Journalism." When I was in Journalism school, we called it the "one page book."

Jokes aside, most journalists do have ethics. Now, on to your question.

Minutes after Michael Muhney was let go, the press knew why. I told some journalism friends that the tabloids would break the story first. I am not bad-mouthing the guys who work in that line of journalism. They believe that everyone has the right to know everything. Some people agree; some do not.

Let's go back to the 1980s. AIDS was just on the rise. Sadly, several actors who worked on soaps contracted the disease that, at the time, was considered a death sentence. No one in the daytime press published any names. At the time, I decided if an actor called me and asked me to write an article on his fight with AIDS, I would do it. No one called.

Some members of the daytime press will do blind items. In all my years of doing this, I have done two blind items. I love to read them. I just don't do them.

As for reporting the Michael Muhney story, it was a messy affair. His cast mate Hunter King (Summer) claimed that he had groped her on more than one occasion. One daytime blogger did an interview with Muhney and made it seem that he was let go because he had a big mouth. If that were true, almost very actor on the "Y&R" set would be on the unemployment line. One blogger did say that Muhney was let go for inappropriate interaction with a cast mate.

I decided not to report it because I was fearful some fans might blame the victim. Boy, have they. The names they have called this just-turned-20-year-old are disgusting. The amazing thing is that many fans who think Muhney is a great actor — and he is — think that means he could not have done this. Or they believe she made up the story because he did not pay attention to her.

On the plus side, many more have supported her and her decision to go to "Young and Restless, "Sony" and CBS" brass. Many of her cast mates have come to her defense.

Maybe I am a little biased. I am a busty girl. I cannot tell you how many times I have been touched when and where I did not want to be. I have never reported it. When I was young, you said nothing. In those years, you just stayed away from the offender. I thought — hoped — those days were over. Then this comes out. In some ways, it still is the bad old days.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Web page at www.creators.com.