CBS News said yesterday that the producer of its flawed report about President Bush's National Guard service violated network policy by putting a source in touch with a top aide to Senator John Kerry.
"It is obviously against CBS News standards and those of every other reputable news organization to be associated with any political agenda," the network said in a statement....
Privately, network officials said they were caught off guard on Monday when Joe Lockhart, a senior adviser to Mr. Kerry, told reporters that he had spoken to Bill Burkett, the source for the questionable documents, at the behest of Ms. Mapes.
It may be the case that no one will resign or be fired until a newly appointed independent panel conducts a review and presents its findings.
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorializes:
If CBS News is to salvage its credibility, Rather must go. Whether or not his producer did most of the prep work for this report, Rather put his weighty seal of approval on the story. Such carelessness by a veteran journalist, especially on a high-profile story about a sitting president in the heat of a campaign, has irreparably damaged Rather's credibility. His apology Monday night was overdue.
Viewers are now left to wonder whether a veteran anchor was blinded by competitive juices or, worse and more unlikely, motivated by partisan bias. That kind of taint won't wash off, even in a hurricane.
According to the LA Times, Les Moonves, Chairman of CBS, broke his silence yesterday:"In an indication of how deep concern about the issue has become at the network, Chairman Leslie Moonves commented for the first time Tuesday. He said that while CBS News 'has a long tradition of responsible journalism … it's clear that something went seriously wrong with the process' in the production of the National Guard story.
Moonves, who attended the New York premiere for "CSI:NY" on Tuesday night, declined further comment."
Hugh Hewitt responds:
Something went wrong with "the process?" It wasn't the process, it was the producer and the reporter and the president of the news division, who teamed up with the Kerry campaign to launch a smear on the president they hate. How clueless can you be, pointing to "the process?" Mr. Moonves and Viacom's board should process this: Your brand has burned to the waterline while you sat around playing gin rummy and attending premiers.
Today's Washington Post editoralizes:
Such casualness in the face of concerns would be irresponsible whatever the subject; on such a fraught topic, about the president of the United States, and in the heat of a reelection campaign, it's hard to understand. When bloggers and then other media outlets quickly raised doubts about the documents' authenticity, CBS erred even more with a defensive, even pugilistic response.
Michael Goodwin, in the liberal The New York Daily News, asks:
Would you trust anything you saw on CBS now? I wouldn't. Until we know exactly what happened, the entire news division has forfeited our trust and the benefit of the doubt. Guilty until proven innocent.
Rob Owen writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Dan Rather’s storied career at CBS could be nearing an ignominious close. He, his producer and his network authored one of broadcast journalism’s most embarrassing chapters, etched in arrogance, perceived bias and undeniable ineptitude. And it is a chapter that stains all of journalism.
Slate's associate editor, Bryan Curtis, writes:
The CBS cocoons engender a kind of madness. Rather is paid an outsized salary—he makes $7 million per year—that is in no way commensurate with the number of viewers he delivers. Where most prime-time shows have a few weeks to prove their viability, newscasts often are given years and decades. The network's former glory allows Rather to shroud himself in the aura of Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow. "I'm confident we worked longer, dug deeper, and worked harder than almost anybody in American journalism does," Rather told the Washington Post Sunday, when in fact CBS spent less time verifying the Guard documents than most bloggers.
...When Rather quits—whether this week or at a moment of his own choosing—it will mark an enormous shift in American cultural life. For the first time in a generation, viewers will flip on Evening News, grab a snifter of brandy, and prepare to receive the day's stories from someone who isn't barking mad.
In other news: Terry McAuliffe--I'm not making this up--is still blaming the Republicans for the memos! Bill Burkett is planning to sue CBS News. Bob Lee, Chairman of the CBS Television Network Affiliate Association, recently said: "We will certainly take a position and make it known, and hope the network will listen to what the stations are saying." Their Board meeting is in October. (A reminder: you can write one email and send it to 200 affiliates with one click by going here.)
Folks, the man behind the curtain has been exposed. He is not an objective, unbiased, all-powerful journalist who pronounces truth and uncovers error. It is a deeply partisan man who refused to stop in his reckless pursuit of a story.
And just in case you assume that because Rather apologized he now believes--along with everyone else in America--that the documents were forged...
In an interview Monday evening, a repentant Rather conceded it had been a mistake to broadcast the documents. But even though he could not vouch for their authenticity, he said he still did not believe that they were fakes.
"Do I think they're forged? No," Rather said. "But it's not good enough to use the documents on the air if we can't vouch for them, and we can't vouch for them."
