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AP: CBS Probe Leaves Unanswered Questions
AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/16/05 | David Bauder

Posted on 01/16/2005 7:23:43 PM PST by NormsRevenge

NEW YORK - CBS hoped that the release of an independent probe of its ill-fated story on President Bush (news - web sites)'s military service, painful as it was, would at least lift the cloud over its news division. If only it were that simple. The report, and the network's response to it, left some questions unresolved:

_ How does CBS News President Andrew Heyward effectively lead when there's widespread surprise — including, undoubtedly, in his own shop — at how he kept his job when four others were fired for their roles in the news organization's worst embarrassment in years?

_ Can the news division change a culture that contributed to the sad comedy of errors without risking the journalism that made it great?

_ After a panel with a Republican former attorney general said it couldn't prove political bias and conservatives roundly rejected that, can peace ever break out between the network and its outside critics?

The top executive overseeing CBS prime-time news programs, the executive producer of "60 Minutes Wednesday," his deputy and the story's producer were all fired last week after Richard Thornburgh and retired Associated Press chief executive Louis D. Boccardi's investigation. They determined that the show rushed an explosive story it couldn't prove onto the air and blindly defended it when the holes became apparent.

Count Deborah Potter, a former CBS News correspondent and now executive director of the TV news think tank Newslab, among those surprised that Heyward also wasn't asked to leave.

"This may ultimately be a stay of execution, but we won't know that for awhile," she said.

CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves concluded Heyward gave the right warnings and issued the right orders, but his staff didn't carry them out.

"If they fall down on the job, he shouldn't be held responsible," said Gene Jankowski, former CBS Broadcasting chairman and now an investment banker for Veronis Suhler Stevenson. "They should be held responsible."

Others say that's hardly a classic "the buck stops here" attitude. The story's producer, Mary Mapes, said Heyward saw and approved the story before it went on the air. The CBS News boss ultimately presided over the disastrous 12-day defense before Dan Rather's begrudging apology.

But Heyward serves a constituency of one: Moonves. And he didn't want to leave CBS News rudderless when it faces its biggest decision in many years — the replacement for Rather when he steps down in March.

Moonves talked about a culture change within CBS News.

"I think there were certain problems with the process where possibly star producers are given too much latitude," he said.

CBS, particularly "60 Minutes," is known for having strong, even star, producers. (Al Pacino portrayed one — Lowell Bergman — in the movie "The Insider.") As the producer largely responsible for uncovering photos of Abu Ghraib prison, Mapes fit the definition.

At "60 Minutes," producers and correspondents have enormous freedom between when a story idea is approved and when it is finished, said David Blum, author of "Tick ... Tick ... Tick ... The Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes."

"In the short run, this puts the fear of God into everybody, and there's a slight chill that takes place," Blum said.

He wonders how, practically, CBS can accomplish the goal of more oversight with less management in place. Now that "60 Minutes Wednesday" executive producer Josh Howard has been fired, "60 Minutes" leader Jeff Fager is overseeing both broadcasts.

It's also a culture that has made "60 Minutes" a talent magnet, produced nearly four decades of impressive journalism and kept it the gold standard of TV newsmagazines.

Is changing it worth the risk?

Linda Mason, the longtime CBS News executive who Moonves tapped for the new job of overseeing investigative reporting, said she's already heard from a former "60 Minutes" producer who said he would have felt more freedom, not less, with someone else examining his work.

Given the cottage industry of critics who have watched the network's every word for partisan nuance, CBS was most heartened by the panel's conclusion that the report wasn't driven by political bias. Mapes was scolded, however, for inappropriately putting one of her sources in touch with the Kerry campaign.

"When Richard Thornburgh, one of the panelists, was all over the media saying they could not prove political bias, I don't think it comes with much more authority," Mason said.

Still, Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the Media Research Center, accused Thornburgh of "pussyfooting" around the issue.

"Conservatives feel this story wasn't about beating NBC, ABC or USA Today; it was about beating President Bush," Graham said.

"What sort of sticks in our nostrils is they don't care what we think," Graham said. "They don't care if there's a perception of bias."

Yet when asked what CBS could do toward reaching some sort of detente, Graham said, "I think it would be a step forward to admit that what CBS did was intended to sway an election."

Said Mason: "I think we're going to have to agree to disagree."

___

On the Net:

http://www.cbsnews.com


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 60hoodwinks; danrather; leaves; moonves; probe; questions; unanswered
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1 posted on 01/16/2005 7:23:53 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: Howlin

FYI


2 posted on 01/16/2005 7:29:58 PM PST by hoosiermama (prayers for all)
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To: NormsRevenge
CBS is a joke. The report from the "investigation" was laughable. Everyone--and I mean everyone--that I know has rolled their eyes to this obvious whitewash. There is nothing CBS News can do to recover from this.

Even my most liberal friends have dropped any kind of defense of CBS. I can't imagine it will survive as a news bureau.

3 posted on 01/16/2005 7:30:23 PM PST by Zebra
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To: NormsRevenge
Yet when asked what CBS could do toward reaching some sort of detente, Graham said, "I think it would be a step forward to admit that what CBS did was intended to sway an election."

It is a great step past the truth to deny that CBS attempted to sway an election. The better description is that CBS attempted an American Coupe.

4 posted on 01/16/2005 7:32:56 PM PST by ghostrider
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To: NormsRevenge

No, no, and no.

Thankfully, it's becoming increasingly evident that this bought-and-paid-for whitewash isn't working.

Bad luck for CBS that Danny Boy screwed up and got caught. The other major outlets are all just as bad. But CBS got caught, and so far they are doing a very poor job of wriggling out of it.


5 posted on 01/16/2005 7:35:43 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: ghostrider
Looking at the title of this post, what it leaves is, UNACKNOWLEDGED TRUTHS ABOUT WHAT C-BS AND RATHER DID.

Lies are the handmaiden of the Left.
6 posted on 01/16/2005 7:35:45 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: Zebra

Why do they bother? Their news is the least successful of their programming.

I think they bother because they want to spread liberal bias and hurt the President and the Republicans, even if it costs them money and credibility.


7 posted on 01/16/2005 7:35:54 PM PST by altura
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To: Zebra

.

And still...

Los Angeles Times LIBERAL Media Critic DAVID SHAW is still telling us that:


RATHER's work 'Shoddy, Slipshod' not LIBERAL..?

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227809/posts

.


8 posted on 01/16/2005 7:39:39 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: Zebra

No one is asking "who did it" who sat down at the word processor and forged those documents. Why on earth do we not know the answer to that question by now?


9 posted on 01/16/2005 7:41:06 PM PST by SAWTEX
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To: SAWTEX
No one is asking "who did it" who sat down at the word processor and forged those documents. Why on earth do we not know the answer to that question by now?

Exactly.

10 posted on 01/16/2005 7:45:18 PM PST by wideminded
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To: altura
I think they bother because they want to spread liberal bias and hurt the President and the Republicans, even if it costs them money and credibility.

The thing is, it has the opposite effect. It isn't subtle. It is over the top. It has been 15 years since this kind of thing worked, and only then becuase people had not yet become sensitized to the media bias. Those days are over.

The marginalization of network news will continue for 5-7 years and that will be it. News organizations that tell it like it is to a much more informed audience will thrive. Those riddled with "Bias" as Bernie Goldberg called it will be consigned to low circulation dailies (like the New York Times, Boston Globe and LA Times).

The result will be a better informed civic body.

11 posted on 01/16/2005 7:47:17 PM PST by Zebra
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To: ghostrider

12 posted on 01/16/2005 7:47:47 PM PST by Wolverine (A Concerned Citizen)
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To: NormsRevenge

Forging Colonel Killian's signature on those fake memos is a federal felony. Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage?

Broadcasting those forged documents over telephone fax and TV airwaves is federal wire fraud. Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage?

Forging military orders such as: "Lt. Bush, report for a physical examination" is a federal felony. Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage?

Slander? Libel? Criminal conspiracy? Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage?

13 posted on 01/16/2005 7:53:36 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Wolverine

apologies to Agent 86..

"Myth'd by that much." ;-)


14 posted on 01/16/2005 7:54:29 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... The War on Terrorism is the ultimate 'faith-based' initiative.)
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To: NormsRevenge
One of the most important questions not asked is: "Has this ever happened before?"

It is generally accepted that the blogosphere captured the lie. Without the alert attention of Freepers, this one would have gotten by also.

15 posted on 01/16/2005 7:54:48 PM PST by pfflier
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To: NormsRevenge
Can the news division change a culture that contributed to the sad comedy of errors without risking the journalism that made it great?



When was it great ? Seems to me they have pretty much been the same operation for forty years. I think that they have lost a lot of their luster because the general public has become more knowledgeable. Not to mention that seeBS has stubbed their toe occasionally.

16 posted on 01/16/2005 7:54:50 PM PST by oldbrowser (You lost the election...........get over it)
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To: Wolverine

I took my own action: no one at my house will ever watch See-BS again, because I disabled it and they can't.

A network tries to bring down a sitting president with forged documents and walks...and there aren't even any indictments? If this had been tried on Kerry by Fox, nothing else would ever be in the headlines until the perps were all in prison.


17 posted on 01/16/2005 7:56:15 PM PST by Malleus Dei ("Communists are just Democrats in a hurry.")
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To: SAWTEX
No one is asking "who did it" who sat down at the word processor and forged those documents. Why on earth do we not know the answer to that question by now

I believe the real question is why would a large multimillion dollar buisness, the well paid executives, Rather, and others not come forth and tell them who gave them a forged document. Because it was forged, there is no journalistic ethical delima. So why not name the scouldrel?Money...no? Sex...no? Power....yes. Now I ask myself, "Who has this sort of power over CBS,Monves,Heyward,Rather, and what keeps them from breaking the story and thus begin to rehabilitate the CBS company. Who has that much power? The government? The FBI? Someone with FBI files on the leadership of CBS? I do not know. But the CBS corporation is spending way too much capital and reputation on Dan Rather. They have remained silent in the face of incoming that would have forced any other company to enlist a public relations firm to begin this rehabilitation. But they do not. This does not make sense.
18 posted on 01/16/2005 7:56:42 PM PST by Texas Songwriter (p)
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To: Southack
Forging Colonel Killian's signature on those fake memos is a federal felony. Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage? Broadcasting those forged documents over telephone fax and TV airwaves is federal wire fraud. Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage? Forging military orders such as: "Lt. Bush, report for a physical examination" is a federal felony. Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage? Slander? Libel? Criminal conspiracy? Where is the investigation? Where is the outrage?

They're liberals, so they can commit any acts they want and get a free pass. It's disgusting.

19 posted on 01/16/2005 7:57:39 PM PST by Malleus Dei ("Communists are just Democrats in a hurry.")
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To: NormsRevenge

Rather's Ted Baxter defense is a joke...."I only read what's put in front of me...I don't understand it."


20 posted on 01/16/2005 8:00:25 PM PST by Drango (Tag lines must be registered before approval.)
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