Updated: Apr 2 1998 9:29AM

LITTLE ROCK: Folks here have been spared the O.J.-style frenzy that would have descended on their town this May had Judge Susan Webber Wright not nixed the prospect of a Jones vs. Clinton courtroom spectacular. For the media, it means the untimely death of a story that had a good two months left to run. And already, this has prompted another round of soul-searching over the quality of our sex-scandal coverage. Delegates at the 75th annual convention of the American Society of Newspaper Editors seemed to spend Wednesday vying with each other to hand out the worst grade for the mediaís handling of líaffaire Lewinsky. ìA barely passing C minus,î said Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of the Washington Post. A failing F, countered University of Virginia press-watcher Larry Sabato. And Jonathan Wolman of the Associated Press gave the media an X -- as in X-rated.

Moving into full self-loathing mode, many journalists offered confessionals. ìI have an uneasy feeling about how far weíve gone,î said Downie -- who will no doubt be grateful that his long, dark Paula Jones journey has been brought to a halt. But as long as Ken Starrís Lewinsky probe continues, thereís always a little further to go.

-- Chris Taylor