Posted on 09/21/2004 6:28:38 AM PDT by kattracks
Often, the cover-up is worse than the crime. Some media analysts say it's not so much that CBS and Dan Rather made an error -- perhaps willfully -- in their reporting.Instead, the network news show and its managing editor Dan Rather may be more guilty for how the behaved after they got caught and because they stubbornly refused to admit their mistake for too long.
''It's a devastating event for CBS, not only because they made serious editorial mistakes, but also because they responded in a totally arrogant fashion for the last two weeks when they turned their guns on their critics rather than quickly investigating and owning up to the problems with these so-called documents," Bob Zelnick, a former ABC News correspondent and currently head of Boston University's journalism department, told the Boston Globe.
Zelnick is not alone in thinking Rather's position has been seriously undermined by the fiasco.
''I think it's going to hurt the credibility of the media and certainly tarnish Dan Rather's reputation," Marvin Kalb told the Globe.
The paper described him is a "close friend of Rather's who worked with him as a CBS reporter in Washington in the 1970s.
Kalb continued: ''But in the last two years you have seen The New York Times, USA Today, and other papers going through a terrible time of people questioning their credibility and of having to fire their own reporters. They were under the gun for a while, but they have emerged reasonably well from the experience. I think CBS, after a bad time, will also emerge, hopefully with a number of lessons learned -- one being you have to go beyond normal due diligence when investigating explosive charges about a president in an election year."
But part of that re-emergence may lay with some heads rolling at the Tiffany network.
''Rather and Mary Mapes are vulnerable, presumably," Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told the Globe.
"The news divisions of CBS, ABC, and NBC are all struggling with declining viewers, and if CBS sees a further ratings decline after this, I think they raise the question" of Rather's resignation.
FOX25 had Zelnick on this AM. (none of the other Boston stations bothered) He tore CBS a new one. I still say FOX25 is going to slowly change politics in the Bay State.
raise the question" of Rather's resignation???
is this a joke, there is NO question that Dan must go!
Joe Lockhart was just interviewed on msnbc about his Burkett contact. Sounds like he's on Fox right now. He's denying that his contact with either Mapes or Burkett discussed the documents or even the National Guard stuff. Says Burkett wanted to give him advice on the SwiftVet 'scam.' When asked if he was in trouble with the Kerry campaign, bugeyes scoffed and said there was no reason for Kerry to be worried, etc., etc. All in a day's work, move along people. Yeah right, Joe.
I'm still trying to figure out if Dan still stands with the allegations the fake memos make...
Or is he still insisting Bush "answer the questions" the forged documents make.
I know you can't polish a turd, but is it possible to tarnish one?
Saw the so-called ARROGANT, SELF-SERVING apology this morning on a front page. Disgusting. The elitist media is DEAD in my book. And of course, no apology to the VERY PERSON THEY MALIGNED. OUR PRESIDENT.
The leftists of the MSM are so filled with not only hate, but arrogance, over the fact THEY ARE NO LONGER IN CHARGE OF WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEARS AND SEES. They just cannot handle it and are like upset children. So be it. This country does not need their type. Not at all. To hades with C-BS and their ilk.
So what can he do??? He can tell Lockhart, " I'm from Texas and I've got the goods on John O'Neill. Or I'm from Texas and I've got the goods on Bush and the TANG, Those are the only contributions Burkett could make to Lockhart and Kerry. Since the only charges to emerge from Texas have been about Bush and TANG, and since Burkett admits having the forged Docs. Which topic do you think he talked with Lockhart about? As we said in 10th grade Geometry Quid Erat Demonstratum.!!
"I think CBS, after a bad time, will also emerge, hopefully with a number of lessons learned -- one being you have to go beyond normal due diligence when investigating explosive charges about a president in an election year."
If that's the primary lesson they learn from this exposure, then they will have learned nothing.
Which topic do you think he talked with Lockhart about? As we said in 10th grade Geometry Quid Erat Demonstratum.!!
I think he talked about the same ones you think he talked about. I hope there is some proof of that hanging out in the ether there somewhere. Like maybe Burkett has a recording or will turn.
The questions that are not being asked that should be:
Joe, how often do you get phone calls with heads up on political dirt on your opponents from the networks?
Joe, Why would you agree to take a call from someone if only Mary Mapes gave it to you?
Joe, When was the production date of the "Fortunate Son" ad?
Joe, Do you think using photos of documents in the "Fortunate Son" ad that have now been discredited means that your ad should be pulled?
Joe, Do you think that since Tom Harkin used the documents as the basis for his attack on President (not Mr.) Bush that he should apologize?
These same questions, especially #1 should be asked of Dan Bartlett and Ed Gillispie to compare answers.
From Vodkapundit:
Utter jaw-dropper in today's USA Today, via Powerline:
CBS arranged for a confidential source to talk with Joe Lockhart, a top aide to John Kerry, after the source provided the network with the now-disputed documents about President Bush's service in the Texas National Guard.
Lockhart, the former press secretary to President Clinton, said a producer talked to him about the 60 Minutes program a few days before it aired on Sept. 8. She gave Lockhart a telephone number and asked him to call Bill Burkett, a former Texas National Guard officer who gave CBS the documents. Lockhart couldn't recall the producer's name. But CBS said Monday night that it would examine the role of producer Mary Mapes in passing the name to Lockhart.
Burkett told USA TODAY that he had agreed to turn over the documents to CBS if the network would arrange a conversation with the Kerry campaign.
So, let me get this straight. CBS just spent more than a week "protecting" the identity of Burkett, refusing to release his name to the general public--but they did put him in touch with a senior adviser to the Kerry campaign, before their story ran? The same week when the DNC started running ads based on the CBS story, which built on Burkett-supplied forgeries?
That's the tipping point. This is officially a major political scandal, not just an embarrassment to a dinosaur news outlet.
CBS is toast. Dan Rather is toast. Joe Lockhart is toast... and John Kerry is burned French toast about to be tossed out in le dumpster.
Stick a fork in all of the above. They're done.
Did you see this, Guillermo??
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1222557/posts
Kind of answers the question
I still think it's a big Karl Rove conspiracy.
And "Buckhead" works for the RNC.
That Rove thing is hilarious.
On the one hand the Dems look like lunatics on the other hand, if they are right they are losers who got burned!
ha!
On the one hand the Dems look like lunatics on the other hand, if they are right they are losers who got burned!
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In police work, I believe they call that a "sting operation" -- and the suckered party, "suspects under arrest"...
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