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2 Involved in Flawed Report at CBS Resign
NYTIMES ^ | 02/26/05 | JACQUES STEINBERG

Posted on 02/26/2005 9:27:34 AM PST by Pikamax

2 Involved in Flawed Report at CBS Resign By JACQUES STEINBERG

wo of the three CBS journalists who had refused for more than a month to resign over a disputed broadcast concerning President Bush's National Guard service have now submitted their resignations.

In a statement released by her lawyer last night, one of the journalists, Mary Murphy, senior broadcast producer of the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes," which broadcast the report, said, "CBS News and I have reached an amicable resolution." She added: "During my time at CBS News, I enjoyed wonderful working relationships with many talented and dedicated journalists. I wish my good colleagues well, and I look forward to moving on in my career."

A second journalist who had been involved in the broadcast, Betsy West, a senior vice president of the news division, also submitted her resignation this week, a CBS official said last night. The official, who had been briefed on the matter, insisted on anonymity because it concerned an employee's contract.

On Jan. 10, after receiving the findings of an independent panel on the flawed report, Leslie Moonves, chairman of CBS, requested the resignations of Ms. Murphy and Ms. West, as well as that of Josh Howard, executive producer of the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes."

Ms. West did not respond to telephone messages left for her on her cellphone and at her home. Her lawyer, John Siffert, said he had no comment. Mr. Howard did not respond to a message left at his home.

On Jan. 10, Mr. Moonves fired one journalist, Mary Mapes, the producer of the report, which relied on documents - suspected to have been written by Mr. Bush's Vietnam-era squadron commander - that the network acknowledged it had been unable to verify. Following the report, but before the panel released its findings, Dan Rather, the correspondent for the broadcast, announced that he would step down on March 9 as anchor of "CBS Evening News."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: betsywest; cbsnews; marymurphy; rathergate; resignation
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To: Pikamax

There is still the small matter of the forgery of a government document (a felony) to be resolved. I wonder how many FBI agents have been assigned to this case?


21 posted on 02/26/2005 10:26:41 AM PST by DJ Taylor (Once again our country is at war, and once again the Democrats have sided with our enemy.)
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To: Pikamax

No complete departure by Dan Blather from CBS. He's still working behind the scenes.


22 posted on 02/26/2005 10:33:25 AM PST by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: Pikamax
CBS: The Bleeding Continues

Well, that leaves Josh Howard as the only hold-out.

Those three other producers — including "60 Minutes" Executive Producer Josh Howard — aren't going quietly. They've refused to quit and are readying lawsuits — not only to defend their actions, but to charge that the network's report deliberately ignored evidence that implicates top CBS brass in the ongoing fiasco.

23 posted on 02/26/2005 10:42:07 AM PST by MamaLucci (Libs, want answers on 911? Ask Clinton why he met with Monica more than with his CIA director.)
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To: Pikamax
In my west coast edition of the NYT, this article was on page 27, tucked in with the Theater Listings and national weather reports. It could hardly have been placed in a more obscure spot, and on a Saturday yet! Could the NYT be a bit chagrined about something? These two now-former CBSers evidently took the money and ran.
24 posted on 02/26/2005 11:08:43 AM PST by deroberst
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To: demlosers

Buh-Bye!!!!

don't let the door hit you in the A-S!


25 posted on 02/26/2005 11:25:19 AM PST by LtKerst (Lt Kerst)
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To: martian_22

Rove forged them...just ask the DUmmies...They got it all figured out.


26 posted on 02/26/2005 11:29:33 AM PST by skimask
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To: demlosers

show me the money!
27 posted on 02/26/2005 11:32:11 AM PST by jriemer (We are a Republic not a Democracy)
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To: Fido969

28 posted on 02/26/2005 11:32:55 AM PST by jriemer (We are a Republic not a Democracy)
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To: Congressman Billybob
The story of the resignations at CBS is not complete until we know how much was the agreed payoff for each of the people who resigned under fire.

The payoff information might be made available to Viacom shareholders as part of excutive compensation package disclosures.

29 posted on 02/26/2005 11:38:39 AM PST by jriemer (We are a Republic not a Democracy)
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To: demlosers

Dern, I was hoping for a lawsuit...


30 posted on 02/26/2005 11:39:18 AM PST by Guillermo ("Now how can a Puerto Rican lose a fly ball in the sun?' - Harry Caray)
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To: MamaLucci
"Well, that leaves Josh Howard as the only hold-out."

In My Humble Opinion, Josh Howard had the least likely cause to be fired, and so, it would follow, probably has the strongest case against the network.

31 posted on 02/26/2005 11:45:03 AM PST by Fido969
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To: This Just In

Yep, I bet they never have to forge again.


32 posted on 02/26/2005 11:46:57 AM PST by pepperdog
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To: Guillermo
"Dern, I was hoping for a lawsuit... "

Well, we all were, but we kind of grimly figured that CBS would cough up whatever it took to keep these folks quiet.

33 posted on 02/26/2005 11:52:13 AM PST by Fido969
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To: Maceman

Just what I was thinking---"flawed report" --but it would have been just as euphemistically evasive to say "flawed reporters". A better headline would have been
"Agenda-obsessed News Show Eats its Own when Reputation Threatened".


34 posted on 02/26/2005 12:01:43 PM PST by willyboyishere
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To: pepperdog

We can certainly dream.....


35 posted on 02/26/2005 1:05:55 PM PST by This Just In ((In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king))
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