The report on the Dan Rather/fake documents story has been release by CBS and Rathergate is all over the story. Already four CBS employees have been fired including producer Mary Mapes.
The report states the obvious – CBS took what was clearly a set of bogus documents and followed a “rigid and blind” defense of them despite the fact that they’d clearly been had. Of course, the big fish got away and Rather will probably never admit his own personal culpability in this whole sordid affair.
The Rathergate scandal only shows that the pernicious political bias in the newsroom is evident in the reporting of stories. CBS may have committed the most egregious example of such bias, but they are by no means alone in selectively reporting stories or using outright fabrications or bad evidence to distort the news.
UPDATE: And of course, Glenn Reynolds has a whole host of links on the CBS report and the subsequent firings.
No! The report denies the obvious! This is a smear that Dan and Mary had been working on for over five years! To say it was not political is to say the Mannings do not play football!
But, it was foreordained. The panel consited of two Bush haters. The “Rep” has been fighting the Bushes for 12 years – both in court ( where he has no wins and at least on expensive loss) and elswhere. And we all know about AP! It is what was expected *A COVERUP* made up[ of half truths and lies.
Rod Stanton
Cerritos
This is a smear that Dan and Mary had been working on for over five years!
Five years?