Herodotus and Thucydides each had their own way of viewing history. Herodotus writes everything that he sees down but he does not get the best information and gets general information. Meanwhile, Thucydides only scarcely wrote things down but his information was much more specific and at the end, much better. While each man viewed history a different way, none was better than the other.
Article about Herodotus: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/opinion/10iht-edcohen10.html?ref=sept112001
While I would hesitate to use the word "scarcely" with regard to Thucydides, I understand your point and the comparison you give to contemporary reporting is well chosen.
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