CBS Anchor: 'We Are Getting Big Stories Wrong, Over and Over Again'

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[Sub-Driver]

CBS Anchor: 'We Are Getting Big Stories Wrong, Over and Over Again'

"Our house is on fire."

Daniel Halper May 11, 2013 12:09 PM

CBS anchor Scott Pelley said at a speech at Quinnipiac University that journalists "are getting big stories wrong, over and over again."

"Our house is on fire," said Pelley. The video of Pelley's speech is courtesy of nowthisnews.com.

"These have been a bad few months for journalism," he added. "We're getting the big stories wrong, over and over again."

The CBS newsreader was quick to take at least partial blame. "Let me take the first arrow: During our coverage of Newtown, I sat on my set and I reported that Nancy Lanza was a teacher at the school. And that her son had attacked her classroom. It's a hell of a story, but it was dead wrong. Now, I was the managing editor, I made the decision to go ahead with that and I did, and that's what I said, and I was absolutely wrong. So let me just take the first arrow here."

And Pelley said the republic relies on the quality of the news business. "Democracies succeed or fail based on their journalism," said Pelley. "America is strong because its journalism is strong. That's how democracies work. They're only as good as the quality of the information that the public possesses. And that is where we come in."

[Fitzy_888]

Exactly! What’s left of our “Republic” is in spite of contemporary journalism. Democracy? Democracy is two wolves and one sheep voting on what’s for dinner.

[sheana]

In the old movies reporters would take their stories to their editors and the editors would ask questions about sources, etc. to see if it was viable for publishing. .
There must not be any editors any more.

[csvset]

[Spok]

The MSM’s political objectives have eclipsed journalism. CBS must get back to lying only when it advances the leftist agenda, which is getting harder and harder to do. Once you tell a lie, where does it stop? (Wisdom from my grandmother.)

[ozzymandus]

No Duh, Einstein.

[Roccus]

From the video;

..."It's the words that matter. Are they right? Are they fair? Are they honest? Are they true?"

...to which can be added, "If they ARE all of these, do we really want to report them?"

[cblue55]

Sometimes the smartest man in the room is among a room full of embiciles.

[VRW Conspirator]

Wow! a random act of conscience. Relax, it is only temporary.

[Future Snake Eater]

"America is strong because its journalism is strong. That's how democracies work. They're only as good as the quality of the information that the public possesses. And that is where we come in."

I had to double-check to ensure this wasn't satirical. They really believe that crap?

[tomkat]

Dear Scott:

And Pelley said the republic relies on the quality of the news business.

Here's a quality news flash for ya that's for sure true : A whole big bunch of us .. and growing hourly .. do NOT !

Too little too late, tool.

             

[usconservative]

And Pelley said the republic relies on the quality of the news business.

Absolutely INCORRECT. Republics rely on the TRUTHFULNESS of the media. That is, the media reporting WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, and letting the public decide for themselves what is TRUTH.

The liberal lamestream media has for at least three decades of my existence on this planet DUMBED DOWN the American Public by spinning stories into what they wanted the truth to be, then regurgitated (specific use of the word) that "truth" as they believed it to the American Public.

With the liberal lamestream major "news outlets" seeing record rating LOWS and the failures of otherwise staple newspapers, maybe they're finally beginning to figure out exactly WHY the American Public no longer trusts the media.<> So heads up to Pelley and those like him who may actually be trying to figure out why the media's "house is on fire: ... it's because you RAT BASTARDS don't simply report what happened, you SPIN it to suit your liberal agenda. We aren't buying it anymore. Start reporting WHAT HAPPENED and ONLY what happened and that'll be step #1 to rebuilding some credibility in the media.

Until then, go tell your story walking ABCNBCCBSCNNMSNBCCNBC ETC.. ETC.. ETC..

[Hotlanta Mike]

Just towing the Obama Administration’s line...

[Cyber Liberty]

So, he’s going to fix it by featuring Benghazi every night, first item? I thought not.

[RedMonqey]

Democracy? Democracy is two wolves and one sheep voting on what’s for dinner.

And the Bill Of Rights(specifically the 2nd) is one armed sheep demanding a recount!

[henkster]

“In the old movies reporters would take their stories to their editors and the editors would ask questions about sources, etc. to see if it was viable for publishing. .
There must not be any editors any more.”

There are editors, it’s just that now the reporter doesn’t take the story to the editor, the editor tells the reporter what story to write.

[SuziQ]

A simple return to neutral-negative skepticism of all politicians will improve the quality of your reporting immeasurably.

A big AMEN to that!

[GenXteacher]

Well, golly gee, getting the big stories wrong? Here, follow these steps:

1. Stop being a propaganda factory for the left.
2. Successful reporting requires actual research. That means looking things up, actually talking to people, and studying facts.
3. Quit worrying about being first. If you’re not right, then being first was pointless.

None of that will be done, of course, but Pelly and his ilk do pretty much the opposite, and even if they were not commie shills they would still suck at the news business.

[bray]

Who made up the story about the Murdered Ambassador Mr Pelley?

Pray for America to Wake Up

[thecodont]

It’s not just how the stories are written, but which stories are written at all, and how much air time/column inches/page placement they get.

[csvset]

"Based on the best information we have to date, what our assessment is as of the present is in fact what began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassy—sparked by this hateful video.

But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that-- in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent."

"We do not-- we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned.""I think it's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. Whether they were al Qaeda affiliates, whether they were Libyan-based extremists or al Qaeda itself I think is one of the things we'll have to determine."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, September 16, 2012

What say ye, Pelley? Reckon that this a story that you got wrong, or were you just repeating the lies fed to you? Which one was it?