CBS Memos Report
The CBS Memos Report is now available in all its glory. Let the games begin!
The wingnuts are amusingly disappointed that the investigative panel does not rant "Liberal! Liberal! Liberal!" on every page, which is the framework by which they judge all things.
For myself, I'm fascinated by the report as it's a documentary in itself about the seamy underbelly of journalism. Too many such examinations are partisan hatchet-jobs. Rarely do we get a public investigation which has such a combination of thoroughness, detail, and not filled with political noise. Pure signal.
A rare look into the sausages:
[page 163] ... The point would be to shift the conversation from CBS did something wrong, to something wrong was done to us and we're mad as hell.
West rejected Howard's suggestion via a return e-mail at 8:39 a.m.:
I think we need to defend ourselves specifically [and] not even concede that we think it could be a hoax.
Or
[page 189] The Panel believes that such a detailed criticism was yet another occasion that should have resulted in an immediate and careful review of all the reporting behind the September 8 Segment. Instead of reviewing the reporting, however, CBS News simply continued to defend staunchly the September 8 Segment. ...
Such drama.
Ernest Miller has more along similar lines.
Anyway, I'm not going to write too much about it. The "Gatekeepers of the Media vs. Blog Triumphalism" post I did a while back, languished basically unread (and I have to be careful what I wish for, because I don't think I'd like what would have had to happen for it to be read). In any event, all the Usual Suspects are out in force.
But to me, the issue isn't "liberalism". It's "journalism".
By Seth Finkelstein | posted in journo | on January 10, 2005 11:59 PM (Infothought permalink) | Followups
Exactly. I referenced your research in my own analysis of how much credit is really due the blogosphere here.
Jon
Read your comment on the Belle de Jour book (Amazon). A few things really bug me about it...
a) I doubt you have read it.
b) It smacks of the jealousy that seems rife in the blog world among bloggers like yourself who seem to have an inflated opinion of themselves, of how what they have to say is somehow more valid than other (more successful) people.
c) I don't know if she (he?) is a hooker, journalist or bored NASA astronaut; frankly I don't care. Maybe it will be good, maybe it won't, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I've read it.
I hope you have a chance to think about this comment before you delete it from your site, as people like you invariably do in the face of criticism.
Surprise me.
When reading the Rathergate Report bear in mind that Viacom hired Dick bacause of the long history of bad blood between him and the Bushes.Dick set out to NOT find bias and because he is a smart lawyer he found no bias. Viacom ordered a coverup and Dick delivered a coverup.