Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

CBS won't reveal memos' source - Stand may cause distrust, news chief acknowledges
The Baltimore Sun ^ | September 15, 2004 | David Folkenflik

Posted on 09/15/2004 12:44:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

CBS News President Andrew Heyward said yesterday that his network will not reveal the source of disputed documents used to report that President Bush received favored treatment in the Texas Air National Guard, even though that decision may mean many Americans would distrust a 60 Minutes report on the subject. "I'm confident the story was appropriately vetted before it went on the air. It is the nature of this kind of investigative reporting that sometimes sources remain confidential," Heyward said in a telephone interview. "We're going to hang tough, even if that leaves some questions unanswered."

The charged political atmosphere surrounding the story has made it more difficult to identify sources publicly, he said.

"This is a political hot potato," Heyward said. "There's a kind of harassment, an attempt to intimidate, that I think gives people pause."

(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 60minutes; bias; campaign; cbs; cbsnews; danrather; democrats; dirtytricks; forgery; fraud; killian; oldmedia; rather; rathergate
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 141-146 next last
To: Casloy
True, but the support from the general public would go a long way to prove the pent up anger and lack of support for the left, for CBS, for old media in general, etc.

I always like the 'grass roots' approach when it makes sense. It gives more people 'ownership' of the issue.

81 posted on 09/15/2004 3:26:18 AM PDT by NewLand (Stop watching ALL network TV if you want to STOP liberals.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
"We're going to hang tough, even if that leaves some questions unanswered."

Sorry Andrew, we already know who did it :

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1216499/posts

82 posted on 09/15/2004 3:41:32 AM PDT by Grim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NewLand
.which just about proves that they must be involved in the creation themselves...

Nah. I can imagine CBS just accepting documents they knew to be forgeries without actually taking part in their creation. In fact, if CBS helped to make the documents, they would have been decent forgeries.

83 posted on 09/15/2004 3:44:27 AM PDT by xm177e2 (Stalinists, Maoists, Ba'athists, Pacifists: Why are they always on the same side?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: xm177e2

Whoa! No way! You greviously overestimate CBS's competence!


84 posted on 09/15/2004 3:47:28 AM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: jporcus
More brilliant stratergy from the Bush campaign. They claim the documents came from the DNC.

Now Rather has to prove them wrong......LOLOLOLOL.....he can't......LOLOL

85 posted on 09/15/2004 4:06:34 AM PDT by OldFriend (It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given US freedom of the press)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Southack

Evelyn Heyward sure wears a lot of hats. Some of her answers are clearly fraudulent and designed to subvert the letter of the law.


86 posted on 09/15/2004 4:08:30 AM PDT by OldFriend (It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given US freedom of the press)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: xm177e2; bvw
xm: In fact, if CBS helped to make the documents, they would have been decent forgeries.
bvw: Whoa! No way! You greviously overestimate CBS's competence!

...and you over estimate their ARROGANCE!

87 posted on 09/15/2004 4:09:03 AM PDT by NewLand (Stop watching ALL network TV if you want to STOP liberals.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
CBS News President Andrew Heyward said yesterday that his network will not reveal the source of disputed documents used to report that President Bush received favored treatment in the Texas Air National Guard, even though that decision may mean many Americans would distrust a 60 Minutes report on the subject.

Question for Stephanopolous: Still think the Pubbies are behind it, Georgie?

88 posted on 09/15/2004 4:10:08 AM PDT by mewzilla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla

The left has inflated themselves to absurd proportions.

There just aren't as many of them (and a lot of them are leaving in droves) as they want us to believe.


89 posted on 09/15/2004 4:12:30 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: Southack

Interesting, not one thin dime for JFKerry????


90 posted on 09/15/2004 4:16:49 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: shawngf

If - on the first day - Rather had said we stand by this but apparently there are new questions and we are investigating - he could have slithered through this.


91 posted on 09/15/2004 4:16:56 AM PDT by turbocat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: xm177e2
CBS should not be protecting the person(s) responsible for this fraud.

I'm convinced that CBS is the originator of the fraud.

92 posted on 09/15/2004 4:26:37 AM PDT by MrsEmmaPeel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: gridlock

If they had not posted the memos on the web... that was a mistake on their part. They should have just showed them on TV.


93 posted on 09/15/2004 4:31:54 AM PDT by turbocat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: counterpunch

No, a better approach is to say, with frequency, that the longer CBS stonewalls, the more people believe that the source of the documetns was the DNC or Kerry-Edwards. This is a true statement, I believe.


94 posted on 09/15/2004 4:47:07 AM PDT by savedbygrace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

Translation of Heywood statement: "We haven't been hit hard enough in the pocketbook yet."


95 posted on 09/15/2004 4:49:34 AM PDT by savedbygrace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shawngf

Fact-checking by the Pajama People is "harassment"?

Oh, when will these '60s blowhards get a clue.


96 posted on 09/15/2004 5:11:37 AM PDT by fightinJAG ("Tell the truth. The Pajama People are watching you.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

READ:

Our source was someone in or with major connections to the Democrats, and since we wan't Kerry in the White House we won't tell you that.


97 posted on 09/15/2004 5:15:36 AM PDT by HamiltonJay ("You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: savedbygrace
No, a better approach is to say, with frequency, that the longer CBS stonewalls, the more people believe that the source of the documetns was the DNC or Kerry-Edwards. This is a true statement, I believe.

Yes, that is also included in the forth-coming Talking Points Memo I have prepared... Look for it on FR later today.

I believe we need to create a unified wall of noise on this issue, and I have outlined a couple basic points as I see them that should be repeated as often as possible.
98 posted on 09/15/2004 5:25:29 AM PDT by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 94 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; Radix; Kathy in Alaska; MoJo2001; LaDivaLoca; Fawnn; ...
Two document experts retained by CBS News for the disputed "60 Minutes" story on President Bush's National Guard record said yesterday they had warned the program that the memos involved had significant problems but that their concerns were not heeded.

I heard this on the way home yesterday, and almost flipped. Addition to tagline.

Hear BS
on
See BS

99 posted on 09/15/2004 5:31:38 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Charter member of the VRWC - and proud of it. - - - Hear BS on See BS.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xm177e2

You said: If a source gives you forgeries, burn 'em (the source, not the forgeries). CBS should not be protecting the person(s) responsible for this fraud.

I agree. I am no student of journalism (although by experience I see lots of BAD journalism), so I don't know the "rules" on confidentiality. But it seems to me that any acceptance of documents or information in confidence carries the implicit condition that the documents or information not be fraudulent. Further, how often do we hear media partially identifying confidential sources in order to add to their credibility... "a highly-placed White House source who asked that he remain unnamed" or the like? CBS could, if it were being honest (which is the crux of the issue now) partially identify the source of these forgeries.... " a DNC operative," "a Kerry campaign representative" etc. We hear none of that, of course, as it would shatter the delicate remnants of CBS' credibility.


100 posted on 09/15/2004 5:32:18 AM PDT by NCLaw441
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 141-146 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson