CBSNEWS PUSHED BOOK IT OWNS; '60 MINUTES' DID NOT REVEAL PARENT COMPANY'S FINANCIAL STAKE

Drudgereport.com ^ | 3/22/04 | Drudge

[NYC Republican]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON MARCH 22, 2004 12:04:25 ET XXXXX

NEWS FOR SALE: CBS PUSHED BOOK IT OWNS; '60 MINUTES' DID NOT REVEAL PARENT COMPANY'S FINANCIAL STAKE IN CLARKE PROJECT

CBSNEWS did not inform its viewers last night that its parent company owns and has a direct financial stake in the success of the book by former White House terror staffer turned Bush critic, Dick Clarke, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

60 MINUTES aired a double-segment investigative report on the new book "Against All Enemies" -- but did not disclose how CBSNEWS parent VIACOM is publishing the book and will profit from any and all sales!

ETHICAL BREACH

CBS even used heavy promotion for the 60 MINUTES/book launch during its Sunday sports shows.

It is not clear who made the final decision at CBSNEWS not to inform the viewer during 60 MINUTES how they were watching a news story about a VIACOM product.

60 MINUTES pro Lesley Stahl is said to have been aware of the conflict before the program aired.

[CBSNEWS.COM did add a disclaimer to its Internet coverage of the book over the weekend: "Against All Enemies," which is being published Monday by FREE PRESS, a subsidiary of SIMON & SCHUSTER. Both CBSNews.com and SIMON & SCHUSTER are units of VIACOM." And CBS RADIO did carry a disclaimer in its news coverage of the book.]

SIMON & SCHUSTER INFO-COMMERCIAL

Earlier this year, it was Stahl who also profiled another author on 60 MINUTES -- for another book owned by VIACOMCBS -- without any disclaimer!

"The Price of Loyalty" by former Treasury Secretary, turned Bush critic, Paul O'Neill was financed, produced and released [and rolled-out at CBSNEWS] by VIACOM's SIMON & SCHUSTER.

Coming in future weeks, best-selling author Bob Woodward is set to release his PLAN OF ATTACK, a fresh look at the Bush White House.

Will the Woodward VIACOMSIMON&SCHUSTER product debut on: VIACOMSIMON&SCHUSTERCBS's 60 MINUTES?

[EDITOR'S NOTE: STAHL'S INTERVIEW WITH CLARKE ON '60 MINUTES' WAS THE TOP-RATED SHOW OF SUNDAY NIGHT WITH 11.9 RATING/19 SHARE.]

[mewzilla]

Going by their ratings and circulation, fewer and fewer :)

[Admin Moderator]

Article Updated.

[CatoRenasci]

The interesting strategy (I think the 'pubbies will think of it) will be to start documenting stuff like this and complain to the FCC that, e.g. CBS is not a news organization, but propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. Campaign law violation!!!! All this free airtime for Kerry has to be counted as illegal contributions! Demand equal time!

[KQQL]

Dan Lefty Rather and his buddies don't like conservative or republicans.


CBS is UNETHICAL Crap.....

60 minutes is Advertisement dept for Viacom's BOOK Division.

O'Neil book was also sold by 60 minutes.

[NYC Republican]

Thanks!

[PISANO]

Move on.....nothing here....old news...blah blah blah. A 1 minute story.

[BJungNan]

This is not just advocacy journalism as happens every day in the new mass media. It is an informercial. CBS has a financial stake in the story and the promotion of the book by Clark.

If you are not listening to Rush this morning, you have missed one of his finest hours. Of course, Drudge gets credit for his exposure of this sham interview also. But Rush has exposed the issue in so much more depth.

[South40]

Clarke's just another sockpuppet for the liberal spin machine that is SEE-BS.

[Enduring Freedom]

VIACOMMUNIST

[bmwcyle]

Dish Network could have left the CBS channels off and saved the money.

[aodell]

You have a point, but why is it that most of the people I know swear by this show? Maybe I hang with a stupid crowd, huh? :-)

[dirtboy]

60 MINUTES pro Lesley Stahl is said to have been aware of the conflict before the program aired.

How does it feel to be a journalistic prostitute, Leslie? I'm sure, however, that you've managed to rationalize it all away.

[mewzilla]

Hey, I used to read the NYT and think it was gospel. I used to watch the big three's nightly newscasts. And I used to swear by 60 Minutes. Those folks just have had their epiphanies yet :)

[imintrouble]

Called their number - thanks.

Here is the e-mail address for their "feedbag - er feedback".

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml

[aodell]

"I used to read the NYT and think it was gospel. I used to watch the big three's nightly newscasts. And I used to swear by 60 Minutes. Those folks just have had their epiphanies yet."

I was NEVER as depraved as you! :-) We need a lot more "epiphanies" like yours. Welcome to the real world!

[BushisTheMan]

Question: how many conservative authors has CBS had on 60 minutes to describe their books?

[the Real fifi]

The latest Rasmussen poll shoew substantially more support for Bush from internet users. This may be because IT users are smarter and more well-to-do but it may as well reflect what happens when the MSM is no longer your principle news source. I know it made much more info available to me, and changed my political outlook.

[mewzilla]

Mewzilla, recovering Democrat since 1998. (I can even give you the date if you want it :)

[JLAGRAYFOX]

You may be right. But, if that timing was the case, the Kerry boys screwed up! The big impact after the Sixty Minutes interview would be the morning news shows on Monday morning. As history and fate would have it, the Israeli's popped that murderous Hamas old man, who by the way, had his own brother killed. The Israeli neutralization has sucked all of the oxygen out of Monday's new cycle (An Arafat neutralization should follow immediately!). Mr. Clarke will have just a few fifteen minutes of fame, and then will march into the black hole just like Paul O'Neill did. He will sell some books to the Democrat retard group, pushed by the DNC, but this book is going nowhere in the long run! At the end of the day this big play by John Kerry, the Democrat Party and Mr. Clarke is a non-story!

[the Real fifi]

shoew--should be shows...Man, I am having typing trouble today!!