A new Steyn: CBS falls for Kerry campaign's fake memo

Chicago Sun Times ^ | September 12 2004 | Mark Steyn

[randog]

The media and the Democrats sustain each other's make-believe land. Dan Rather tells his staff, ''Kerry's told me there's nothing to this Swiftvet thing.'' Kerry tells his, ''Rather's assured me this Swiftvet story's going nowhere.''

Gotta love the circular self-referencing media. No experts or evidence needed--"If Ra^ther and Couric said it then it must be true!"

[TheLion]

I'm frankly amazed at the origional story to begin with. I guess I couldn't be president becasue I had to sit in a corner with a dunce cap on in kindergarden.

The Democrats are desperately grasping at anything they can get.

[genghis]

mark steyn is on hugh hewitt's first hour each week.
(i think tuesday, but maybe monday or wednesday)

[SupplySider]

Gotta love the circular self-referencing media. No experts or evidence needed--"If Rather and Couric said it then it must be true!"

That was rather's big argument yesterday! "I know the story is true." Case closed.

The arrogance is staggering. It even extends to his inability to recognize how foolish he looks in that safari jacket.

[bitt]

'I'm wondering if this is actionable from a legal standpoint.

It's my sense that CBS affiliates may be subject to stiff fines for violating FCC regulations prohibiting false or deceptive radio transmissions. We need to encourage our congress critters to raise a clamor calling for proper enforcement of FCC regulations in this matter. This is way more serious than JJ's wardrobe malfunction.

Also I think that each member of the electorate has cause against CBS and ViaComm for the attempted fraud and election tampering that the Sixty Minutes show was.

Freedom of speech allows people to tell lies to advance their politics but the electronic media is held to a higher standard. Broadcasters are licensed to operate "in the public interest" using the public resource of the RF spectrum.'

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Should the FCC choose to investigate this, they would have to investigate charges from both sides, the dems would insist on that...

so they should investigate Rathergate AND the Swifties. Sounds okay to me......

[doblin]

"Should the FCC choose to investigate this, they would have to investigate charges from both sides, the dems would insist on that...

so they should investigate Rathergate AND the Swifties. Sounds okay to me......"

I don't believe that anything the Swifties has done is subject to FCC regulations. Their paid ads, true or false, are covered by the first amendment. Kerry could file a libel suit if he thought he could win.

The television network and affiliate are in violation of FCC regulations if they are responsible for a broadcast transmission with false or deceptive content.

[dano1]

IMHO, Oliphant came across as very extremely pompous as repeatedly condescended to lecture O´Neil, ( who is a successful career attorney ), on what is reliable evidence. Steyn is right on with this piece pointing out the jaded hypocrisy of these liberal scribes.

[TEXOKIE]

Thanks for the 60 Minutes II link. This is my modest effort:

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to protest the blatant partisanship shown by Dan Rather and CBS in its recent trashing of our President with documents that have been shown at many levels to be fake. Furthermore, you have ignored stories which have living credible witnesses who are raising serious questions about John Kerry's qualifications to lead. Of course, I am referring here to the blind spot in your coverage of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth story.

It is my opinion that CBS needs to do some serious house cleaning. It also should get a clue about returning to basic journalistic principles which I learned at the knee of my high school journalism teacher, such as:

"a journalist must be accurate accurate accurate," and "a journalist must be impartial impartial impartial," otherwise, "a journalist becomes not credible not credible not credible."



Sincerely,
TEXOKIE

[randog]

It's my sense that CBS affiliates may be subject to stiff fines for violating FCC regulations prohibiting false or deceptive radio transmissions.

My wife works at an ABC affiliate and she told me a few nights ago (when this whole thing blew up) that CBS could face stiff fines. She didn't know the details and I'm waiting to talk to the station GM to learn some of the finer points of the law.

[IPWGOP]

[bitt]

we need to ping to any corporate or media lawyers - know any?

[jimbo123]

Contact Dan's bosses:

Sumner M. Redstone, chairman/CEO - Viacom

sumner.redstone@viacom.com

Leslie Moonves, president/CEO, CBS -

leslie.moonves@tvc.cbs.com

[VRWC_minion]

Devastinwg. Its like shooting fish in a barrel with one of the helicopter machine guns.

[aculeus]

Remember the Hitler Diaries? They turned up in the '80s. Only problem is they weren't by Hitler. But by then various prestige publications had paid a fortune to serialize them. Among them was the Sunday Times of London, owned by Murdoch, who wasn't happy. He called the editor, Frank Giles, into his office, and said, ''Frank, I'm promoting you to editor emeritus.''

''I've always wondered,'' murmured Frank, ''what 'editor emeritus' means.''

''The 'e-' means you've been given the elbow and the '-meritus' means you bloody deserve it,'' said Murdoch.

I have a feeling after November CBS News will be promoting Dan Rather to editor emeritus.

We hope.

[randog]

The GM at the station my wife works at should know the law. I'll ping you after I talk to him.

[aruanan]

''For the umpteenth time,'' he said angrily, ''this is the kind of sleaze I had to put up with when they scoffed at 'What's the frequency, Kenneth?' "

Notice how Dan behaved just like John McCain here? "I had a bad experience and heard all sorts of crap. This current stuff is a bad experience, therefore, it must all be crap."

[VisualizeSmallerGovernment]

Notice how Dan behaved just like John McCain here?

It's better than Kerry:

"John McCain and Max Cleland had a bad experience and heard all sorts of crap. This current stuff is a bad experience, therefore, it must all be crap."

[zot]

Excellent contrast between the old media reaction to Swifties and the old media reaction to forged CBS memos.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

the . . . producer for Wednesday night's broadcast was the same one from the Abu Ghraib picture scandal . . . which broke on the first day of the Swift Boat press conference.

Really?!!

Now that puts a different light on the question of the SBVT response to this thing!!

I would think that would add up to a reason to sue CBS. Somebody sure should.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Nice work!