CBS explodes liberal media bias myth

[Sporadicus]

If ever a story should destroy the myth of liberal media bias, it is the flap over Dan Rather's flub. For CBS, the admission that it cannot verify the authenticity of documents used in a story about President Bush's National Guard service is a serious matter to be sure. People should probably be fired.

But the real and long-lasting lesson of this story lies in the amount of attention being paid to the apology, particularly in relation to another recent case of grievous media error.

Just four months ago, lest we forget, the New York Times issued its own mea culpa, acknowledging the repeated use of dubious information in its coverage of the run-up to the Iraq War and the Bush administration's repeated assertions that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. In the case of one story, the Times flat-out said it was duped, although it used the more decorous phrase "taken in."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/09/26/INGAG8T2FR1.DTL

Some good points made in comparing the NYT's acknowledgement that their reports relied on faulty data vs. CBS' documents flap.

[DeepModem Mom]

1. Very perceptive -- thanks for posting -- nt

[A_Possum]

2. The Double Standard

It's one of the most sickening things about Republicans. Anything they do is right, but if a "librul" does the same thing, it's a crime.

[Kikosexy2]

8. There's no doubt..

that Rather and CBS (I'm defending CBS--LOL) were framed. When I caught wind of the "memos" story, I knew immediately the Repugs would jump all over it to dispute the memos. And sure enough they did. Bottom line there is definitely a lot of truth in those memos because the Repugs could have shrugged if off instead of attacking Rather and CBS ferociously like they did. The bad thing is Mr. Killian isn't even alive to defend himself or around to dispute or confirm anything. But we're supposed to believe that these memos are false..things that make you go hmmmm??

[dolo amber]

3. Today MSN has a link on their HOME PAGE

to "Rather cartoons"...:eyes:

(Granted they're about 50/50 on which side they take, but that's not the point...)

[SHRED]

4. Excellent

Thanks!

[AmyDeLune]

5. Kick! n/t

[dansolo]

6. How many people who are demanding Dan Rather's head

Were also criticizing Judith Miller or Robert Novak? Their journalistic "mistakes" were far more egregious than Rather's. I believe that neither one has apologized for their actions, which, unlike Rather's, were very likely intentional.

[juajen]

7. Exactly!! A pox be on their heads.

It is disgusting, especially the novak/plame matter, which was treason as far as I am concerned.

[SteppingRazor]

9. Liberal? Conservative? Neither.

Sure, various media have some liberal or conservative bias. But these are only minor cases compared to the major biases of the media. The bias toward sensationalism. The overwhelming need to get the story before anyone else (what really did CBS in). Until the media re-invests in investigative journalism, disregarding cost-cutting measures that ruin chances of quality journalism, we'll continue to see things like this, along with fiction writers like Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass, much less fiction writers like Ann Coulter.

[Cocoa]

10. conservative bias overwhelms sensationalism

how come that incredible video of what Bush was doing when he found out about 9/11 was never shown on TV?

How come they ignored the incredible AWOL story? What's more sensational than the fact that our president has entire years that are unaccounted for, and that he likely missed his medical exam because of drug use?

Lots of UNTOLD sensationalistic stories about Bush.