[Zebra]

It won't matter. Rather'll survive and by the time the Nov. ratings period comes around again, CBSNews will have rebounded.

Not a chance.

The one unimpeachable source CBS swore backed the story is a fraud, as CBS now claims. Taking CBS at its word (very hard these days; Burkett is probably just the fall guy in a bigger picture), how can a "trusted" news organization ignore such obvious flaws in its source (Burkett has an anti-Bush history that a seventh grader researching a term paper could find in an hour), overlook even more apparent flaws in the proffered documents, pooh-pooh stated qualms about the reliabilty and lack of provenance of the memos, and ignore double-checking other sources to stress test the story (the secretary, the Killian family, Staudt, etc.)?

The answer is that Dan Rather and Mary Mapes are complicit, incompetent or otherwise unfit for the responsiblity that comes with managing a major news division. (By the way, what do you think Mapes was doing while she was working on this story for five years? Talking incessantly to ONE person?)

CBS has embarrassed itself for the last time with this "release." Even the New York Times had the sense to terminate those associated with the Jayson Blair fiasco. I cannot imagine many viewers or affilaites remaining with CBS after this unless swift and appropriate action is taken at CBS News.

I earlier posted that the Rathergate episode would become a case study for journalism schools about the dangers of reposing too much autonomy and lack of accountability in a single person. That case study will now be expanded to business schools to address the economic impact of failed brand crisis management. Successful management will be identified (Tylenol--immediate acknowledgement and recall; NYT firing all associated with Blair and installing public integrity ombudsman) and contrasted with massive failures that led to severe devaluation of brands (CBS News/60 Minutes)

I predict Rather will not be around to call the election this year.

[Vision Thing]

And just think, this story is not done yet, especially if your claim that Rather and Mapes are complicit. They are hiding something, and so the story continues. This case study for both Journalism and Business Schools is still in development.

[Revolting cat!]

To put another way what you said, CBS fell because it had built an organization that was pyramid shaped, around (or under) a superstar prima donna. This might work if you're an organization like Rolling Stones, Inc (which, by the way is not the case, as far as I know), but not if you're an organization devoted in some small way to reporting news (and in a big way to providing entertainment, and yes, I am referring to the CBS News division.) This is, I suspect the structure of all TV "news" divisions, including O'Really's.

Heck people, Dr Phil warns his audience and his "patients" that his show is entertainment; this may be a good time to enlighten the viewers of Tom and Peter as well, and certainly the watchers of 60 Minutes!