Myopic Zeal -- CBS Fires 4

Tommy J · Post by **Tommy J** » 2005-01-11 09:19am

CBS has announced that after an independent panel investigated the journalistic practices of 4 of its reports/editors after the report on President Bush's National Guard Service.

Lets begin by defining:

my·o·pi·a A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness. Also called short sight.

Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: “For Lorca, New York is a symbol of spiritual myopia” (Edwin Honig).

Let me state for the RECORD. I'm a Democrat who voted for Kerry for a number of reasons. However, I also don't like it when the media likes to go on witch hunts.

Clearly this was from the beginning nothing more than a witch hunt by the liberal media and specifically by Dan Rather to find something wrong when non existed because of his PERSONAL political persusian.

Everyone here is always ready to bash Bush and I'll be the first in line when he acts stupidly and/or when he tries to push his right-wing conservative religious agenda on me or anyone. This was clearly not myopy by anyone's definition.

However, this is different and it's equally as wrong when left wing people try to distort the facts.

Thoughts?

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2005-01-11 09:24am

I don't think Dan Rather pushed the issue, did he? He got what he perceived to be legitimate documents, As I understand it, and he reported on them. The shit was wrong, he was fed a buncha horse hooey. but to be completely honest with you, I have a tough time believing that Dan Rather, Peter JEnnings, Et. al. are anything more than talking heads on the news. they merely regurgitate what is on the teleprompter. I really cant see him as a hard-charging investigative juggernaut, if you take my meaning. The firings I think are to sate others in the media and elsewhere who want a head to put on a stake outside the castle, so to speak

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-01-11 09:26am

Funny how there was no push to oust the people at FOXNews who reported that the US military found WMDs in Iraq. Or that there was no push to oust Robert "Douchebag of Liberty" Novak for outing a CIA operative on national fucking TV. What makes this case so special?

Tommy J · Post by **Tommy J** » 2005-01-11 09:39am

Darth Wong wrote:Funny how there was no push to oust the people at FOXNews who reported that the US military found WMDs in Iraq. Or that there was no push to oust Robert "Douchebag of Liberty" Novak for outing a CIA operative on national fucking TV. What makes this case so special?

I'm not familiar with the Novak report however if Fox News made a legitimate mistake or got a false story is a far cry from people's deliberate attempt to find something wrong when nothing existed.

A completely independent panel of people found wrong-doing at CBS from both sides of this argument.

To me it's special because I see a vast difference between a Fox News political opinion reporter making essentially editorial versus supposidly one of the most credible and 'objective' news magazines essentially distorting the facts.

Critical to a free press I would hope would be some sense of objectivity in the pursuit of a news story.

Personally, I'd like to be able to turn to at least 2 or 3 news sources and say to myself that the reporter didn't have an perscribed objective before investigating such other than to find the truth.

It's already understood by most that Fox News has and agenda -- I'm saddened to see that 60 Minutes did as well.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2005-01-11 11:29am

Darth Wong wrote:Funny how there was no push to oust the people at FOXNews who reported that the US military found WMDs in Iraq. Or that there was no push to oust Robert "Douchebag of Liberty" Novak for outing a CIA operative on national fucking TV. What makes this case so special?

Because Fox News is understood to be the Bush Administration's Ministry of Information and thus has no reputation to ruin. CBS fired these people because it IS a legitimate news outlet and even the perception of lack of objectivity could ruin it. How Fox News behaves is irrevelant to CBS and how it handled this story.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-01-11 03:28pm

They Watergated themselves. If they'd backpedaled and retracted quickly, it wouldn't have blown up nearly the way it did. Instead:

"We have an unimpeachable source."

"I am not a crook."

"The Americans are nowhere near Baghdad."

Heads needed to roll for the atrociously poor journalism, from the initial fact checking to the refusal to back away from the story. I wasn't a Bush supporter either, and the whole process involved turned my stomach just watching it.

Comparing them to 'Fairly Unbalanced' is Tu Quoque, though.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-01-11 03:31pm

Petrosjko wrote:Comparing them to 'Fairly Unbalanced' is Tu Quoque, though.

Wrong, since FOX is not being mentioned in order to refute a logical argument. It is being mentioned in order to point out that conservatives are more shameless than liberals when it comes to journalism, with Novak and FOXNews being used as examples.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-01-11 03:32pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Petrosjko wrote:Comparing them to 'Fairly Unbalanced' is Tu Quoque, though.
Wrong, since FOX is not being mentioned in order to refute a logical argument. It is being mentioned in order to point out that conservatives are more shameless than liberals when it comes to journalism, with Novak and FOXNews being used as examples.

Conceded.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-01-11 03:45pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Petrosjko wrote:Comparing them to 'Fairly Unbalanced' is Tu Quoque, though.
Wrong, since FOX is not being mentioned in order to refute a logical argument. It is being mentioned in order to point out that conservatives are more shameless than liberals when it comes to journalism, with Novak and FOXNews being used as examples.

It's also the difference between the whorish behaviour of the 24 hour news networks and those that are still trying to engage in real journalism. CBS (and the other networks) are still trying to retain a degree of actualy journalism rather than trend whoring.