22 replies to this topic

[DC09]

NEW YORK - CBS admitted Monday that it cannot vouch for the authenticity of documents used to support a "60 Minutes" story that questioned President Bush's Vietnam War-era National Guard service, after several experts denounced them as fakes.


The network said it was wrong to go on the air with a story that it could not substantiate.


"We should not have used them, CBS News President Andrew Heyward said. "That was a mistake, which we deeply regret."


CBS also said it was commissioning an independent review of the incident, and will announce the names of the people conducting the review will be announced shortly.


The announcement was a major blow to the credibility of CBS News and its chief anchor, Dan Rather, who reported the story.


Almost immediately after the Sept. 8 story aired, document experts questioned memos purportedly written by Bush's late squadron leader, saying they appeared to have been created on a computer and not a typewriter that was in use during the 1970s.


CBS strongly defended its story, and it wasn't until a week later — after the military leader's former secretary said she believed the memos were fake — did the news division admit they were questionable.

Full Article

[DC09]

EXCLUSIVE // Mon Sep 20 2004 11:58:02 ET
STATEMENT FROM DAN RATHER:

Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question—and their source—vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome.

Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where—if I knew then what I know now—I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.

But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.

Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully.

Link

Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully.

[Velikovsky]

How stupid can CBS be?
It's obvious they were trying to hurt the Bush campaign and in the end this will only end up helping him.

[Fluffybunny]

And I am sure that all of the bush supporters were equally upset with the lies of the swiftboat group that got much more airtime on every news channel in town for months on end...

[Velikovsky]

Well of course because all Bush supporters are moral upstanding citizens who would never support the swift boat ads since they've been proven to be lies. That's why Bush immediately came out and condemned the ads for attacking a US Senator who served his county with honor.

[Celumnaz]

How stupid can CBS be?
It's obvious they were trying to hurt the Bush campaign and in the end this will only end up helping him.

How long have they been doing this?  What nuances did they include in their past stories making a large majority of the public dupes for them and their agenda?  How many people believe lies because of their past reporting?  It's not just them though.  Nobody ever wants to believe they've been duped.

And I am sure that all of the bush supporters were equally upset with the lies of the swiftboat group that got much more airtime on every news channel in town for months on end...

I missed CBS's special, errr, ABC's special... errr... I missed the swift boat specials on CNN too... Missed all their interviews on the major networks somehow.  I did hear talk about them, and that wealthy texas backer, and what a rotten bunch they are, but never really heard an interview from them, except on the radio... and I think there was a short mention on one of those alternative cable news networks.  Not that I watch major network news 24/7 or anything.

I do remember Kerry saying something about having to come back to pick up the guy in the water after he had already started leaving.  When the other boats that were there were involved in a gunfight and started heading over to pick up the guy in the water.  It was Kerry talking, just sounded like he was running away and thought he'd get in trouble if he did cause the other boats were fighting and headed to save his crewmate.  That's what I got from it when Kerry said it.

Again though, with polotics, with these 2 choices, all we have is a choice between two evils, there's not even a lesser to choose from this time.  My vote will probably be a write in.  

[wcturnersr]

I wonder if Kerry is going to come out and say that he had nothing to do with the retrieval of those documents??

[bathory]

And I am sure that all of the bush supporters were equally upset with the lies of the swiftboat group that got much more airtime on every news channel in town for months on end...

need we mention Michael Moore?

[panther10758]

Shame on youb Dan Rather

[gsr]

Rathering, the new form of old yellow paper journalism.  Also, a theme in the Bond movie The World Is Not Enough.  If the truth is not what you want to tell, make up story that well make the events happen as you desire.  If the events do not go your way, wag the dog and just create events which will guide the populace to follow your trail of rags.  

Rathering, may be the first time a news service got caught big time.  But how many other times have we seen people hailed for dissembling the truth, the US even gave a Pulitzer prize to one, and never revoked it after the truth was revealed.  Greed is good.  Power is good.  Morals are relative and unfortunately for most relatively useless.

[Babs]

My husband and I were talking about this scandalous development...we were saying how undignified it all is for Dan Rather to go out like this.

And it is definitely working in Bush's favor. Polls are up now. Even the young people are voting for Bush. Young conservative Blacks are voting for Bush, too.

I'll bet the democrats are down and out.

[Homer]

I'll bet the democrats are down and out.

With more than a month to go before the elections, and three presidential debates(Bush doesn't speak well), I think it's a little early to say democrats are down and out

[Michelle]

Hey Homer, I'm getting off topic, but did you see Kerry on Letterman last night? He disappointed me again, and I keep trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Not one single question that Letterman ask him did he answer. Letterman was obviously getting irritated but managed to keep it under control.

I had my pencil poised to write down the first straight answer he gave and I got nothing... again.

[Homer]

Hey Homer, I'm getting off topic, but did you see Kerry on Letterman last night? He disappointed me again, and I keep trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Not one single question that Letterman ask him did he answer. Letterman was obviously getting irritated but managed to keep it under control.

I had my pencil poised to write down the first straight answer he gave and I got nothing... again.

I didn't see it. By your critique, I didn't really miss anything

[Michelle]

You're right!