Posted on 01/10/2005 2:38:40 PM PST by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - The ousting of four CBS News journalists for their roles in the "60 Minutes" memo scandal is "a good start" by one assessment but merely a series of "superficial reforms," according to another media expert.
The firings were announced Monday as the long-awaited report from a special panel composed of former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and retired Associated Press executive Louis Boccardi was issued.
CBS News Senior Vice President Betsy West; "60 Minutes/Wednesday" Executive Producer Josh Howard; Howard's deputy, Mary Murphy; and "60 Minutes" producer Mary Mapes lost their jobs over the controversial segment that aired Sept. 8 about President Bush's service with the Texas Air National Guard.
The segment relied on documents that, following the broadcast, were immediately branded forgeries by typography experts nationwide. CBS News also had to eventually admit it could not guarantee that the memos were authentic.
"These firings are a good start toward the path of objectivity for CBS," said Greg Sheffield, one of the editors of the RatherBiased.com website, which has established itself as one of the loudest critics of outgoing CBS News anchor Dan Rather, who was the anchor of the Sept. 8 "60 Minutes" segment.
However, Sheffield added, "If the network wants to truly show that it is serious about being fair, it needs to fire News President Andrew Heyward, who personally approved a public relations strategy of stonewalling and lying when confronted with evidence that CBS had erred.
"Everyone who got fired deserved to be fired," Sheffield said. "No one who was deeply involved in the production of a report based on fraudulent documents deserves to work in any news organization."
Meanwhile, Michael Paranzino, founder of the BoycottCBS.com site, said he felt the Thornburgh/Boccardi report and the network's reaction to it didn't go nearly far enough.
"The reforms suggested by the CBS News-paid 'independent' panel will help CBS News, but they will not solve the fundamental problem, which is that CBS News is dominated from page boy to president with Manhattan liberals who are out of touch with mainstream America," Paranzino stated.
"Does anyone really believe CBS News would have aired phony documents smearing President Bush, shortly before a close election, had a single conservative been anywhere near the newsroom to point out the obvious flaws in the story?" he asked.
"The report lists a devastating set of 16 egregious errors made by CBS News in airing the false story and then defending it for nearly two weeks," Paranzino stated. "Such error layered upon error can only happen when there is a rigid political orthodoxy that not only does not encourage dissent -- it does not even recognize that dissent might exist.
"CBS News has no respect for conservatives, people of faith or people who live east of Berkeley and west of Manhattan," he added.
Paranzino had three specific suggestions for CBS News to restore credibility, integrity and ratings:
"First, fire Dan Rather. Even the panel seemed stunned that Rather 'still believes the content of the documents is accurate.'
"Second, CBS News should adopt a program focused on introducing diversity of thought. People of faith, conservatives and people from the heartland of America should all be considered for jobs at CBS News.
"Third, CBS News should add a broadcasting location in the American heartland, and its evening news should either be solely or jointly anchored from Middle America, every night.
"But make no mistake: If CBS News makes only superficial reforms while maintaining its liberal advocacy 'DNA,' Americans will continue to turn away from CBS News," Paranzino concluded.
Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center -- the parent organization of the Cybercast News Service -- also thought the report exposed the political motivation of the CBS team.
"It's wrong for Thornburgh and Boccardi, or anyone else, to minimize the obvious liberal agenda behind what Dan Rather and others were trying to do to George Bush's electoral chances last September," Graham said.
"In a race in which John Kerry was touting his military service in Vietnam as making him a superior commander-in-chief to Bush, CBS's zeal on this Bush-bashing story with a Bush-hating source cannot be dismissed as merely a search for a ratings boost, as if the president were Michael Jackson or Scott Peterson," Graham stated.
The source of the documents for the "60 Minutes" segment was a long-time Bush opponent from Texas.
Peter Hart, an analyst with the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), claimed that the Thornburgh/Boccardi report contained "no surprises" and said it is "understandable that people would lose their jobs" over the lack of caution and scrutiny regarding the story.
"In journalism, you don't get a second chance," Hart added.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie also weighed in Monday afternoon.
"All Americans should welcome today's report on CBS News' unprofessional conduct regarding its story about President Bush's National Guard service," he said.
"CBS deserves praise for undertaking this effort in light of the concerns raised last fall. We should remember that today's report would not have come about without a vigilant public and also recognize that the vast majority of journalists are hardworking professionals who practice their craft with honesty and integrity," Gillespie added.
E-mail a news tip to Randy Hall.
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This isn't a Hillary story as well, is it??
Personally I'm glad they fired that rabid liberal Mary Mapes. She'll get another job from her liberal friends, but meanwhile that rock she hides under has been turned over.
It's superficial. Mapes will have another job at some other liberal station tommorow! They should have fired Rather, before he ''quit'' and fired the head of CBS news!
Superficial reforms.
Bump to that analysis.
How long will it be till you want him back in your house?
Now, say CBS News comes in to your house and makes a doody on your carpet...get the picture?
I'm still waiting for CRIMINAL charges.
Forgery IS a crime. The FEC and FCC may also have something to say about this.
I'm still waiting for Houston's "conservative" talk radio station to stop broadcasting SeeBS news updates every hour. They patted themselves on the back for ending Dan Blather's nightly idiotorial piece. They've also said that they "will eventually" replace it with Fox News updates.
I've since seen a statement from CC management that they may start up a liberal talk radio station in Houston sometime. If there is such an audience for such programming in Houston, why not put it on the news/talk station or share time with the all talk station? Why put it "elsewhere" on the dial?
Clear Channel's involvement is about profit and not about politics.
What palpable nonsense!
As far as I can tell (I haven't read it all yet), there is no finding of NETWORK LIBERAL BIAS.
If CBS wants to atone for their little mistakes here, there is still time for 60 MINUTES to ask John F. Kerry about his (rumored) undesirable discharge in 1972. C'mon Dan and Morry, show us Freepers some genuine balance. (It won't happen.)
Oh, a small related wager. I'll bet that Mary Mapes lands (or has landed) a job with NPR. Just a hunch.
A good start? No, branding every employee of CBS across the forehead with the word "traitor," stripping them of the franchise, and barring them from all employment except toilet cleaning would be a good start.
I've got two questions -
1) What do journalism professors teach now - just fake it and you'll get to keep your job? Dan worked on the story for FIVE YEARS but instantly turned into a complete idiot and never noticed fake documents when they hit his desk? Journalism students will be very confused for a long time.
2) Dubya knew about 9/11 before it happened! Abu Ghraib WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! Enron WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! Yet when Dan Rather INTENTIONALLY airs a fictitious story in order to effect an election - in his favor - every peon under him gets canned. Dan gets to keep his pension because, well, he was much smarter and was completely blindsided by everyone else's mistakes. (And that goes for the NY Times, too.)
I think the fallout will continue to go on, and on, and on...
With Heyward still there, SSDD.
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