NBC: Rather's Story Wouldn't Happen Here

[Rose Siding]

LOS ANGELES - Dan Rather's lack of involvement in the discredited story about President Bush (news - web sites)'s military service was "shocking," NBC's chief said Friday, promising it would never have happened at his network.
...
One drill done by producers at "Dateline NBC" for controversial stories is to ask the question, "what are the angry letters going to say and how do we respond?" said NBC News President Neal Shapiro, former "Dateline NBC" executive producer.

"Everyone has to believe they have an essential role to play and one of the essential roles to play is to question the premise of everything," Shapiro said.

When NBC ran a story about a woman alleging she had an affair with President Clinton (news - web sites), Shapiro said he sat through 15 screenings of the work in progress.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&ncid=762&e=4&u=/ap/20050121/ap_en_tv/tv_cbs_guard

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. That's for sure.

[Guaranteed]

2. Good job on those WMD's, folks, BTW!!

Way to look out for the American people! :)

[Dr Fate]

31. And the extensive Swiftboat Vet coverage was real accurate too.

:(

[RobertSeattle]

3. No but we will stenograph bush admin stories for cheap!

I just wish people would hold the Bush Administration up to the same standards that they held CBS up to.

[MichiganVote]

4. And the fact that "hate" mail actually entices viewers has no bearing

Right. NBC who televised the wrong election conclusions in Florida in 2000. Sure.

[Corgigal]

5. It was dateline

years ago that sabotaged vehicles so that they exploded on impact.
I guess they would like us to forget about that part of their "journalism".

[Wapsie B]

6. Okay now.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the actual substance of the memos were never discredited.

[ozarklib]

11. If they can discredit

the memos, they don't have to discredit the substance. That is why this whole thing was so infuriating. It hurts the cause of truth to use sources that are compromised. Once the authenticity of the memos was seriously questioned, the substance ceased to be taken seriously.

[MadisonProgressive]

13. The 'substance' of the memos was confirmed by the man's

long-time secretary.

[samdogmom]

7. Wait A Minute!

Okay, I admit I've been lurking since Nov. 2. It's been hard to keep my mouth shut. You've been so right about so many topics! However, I digress. What about the Dateline, NBC story that got lots of people fired? Jane Pauley came close--I can't remember the details but NBC is not a saint, please... They're just lucky that the latest problem never happened to them. However, reporters did lose their jobs over a story that Dateline NBC ran regarding cars...???help me out here people, what was it? Victoria something was implicated. Does anyone remember???? NBC IS NOT A SAINT!

[durablend]

9. Exploding side fuel tanks...

On GM pick up trucks...they made sure to rig them with explosives to get maximum effect when they "tested" them.

Yeah, you'd NEVER televise something not on the up and up :eyes:

[flygal]

21. Wecome samdogmom!!

I don't remember that story - but you're so right. It's like one kid at the dinner table gets in trouble and the siblings turn into Eddie Haskel "mom, this meat loaf is great" "dad, have you lost weight?"

[newyawker99]

29. Hi samdogmom!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[KamaAina]

8. Of course not.

NBC would never air a story that was the least bit critical of Emperor Bush** II.

[Melynn]

15. A signal from NBC

This is NBC way of signaling to the Bush White House that they aren't going to cause trouble for the President. For some reason, NBC thinks that they are going to gain something by sucking up to Bush.

The joke is on NBC. Bush and his people are probably laughing at NBC just like they do to the rest of the media. Bush and his band of cronies aren't going to be nice and play along with anyone.

[MrPrax]

10. Neal Shapiro is as outta touch as Bush...

"what are the angry letters going to say and how do we respond?" said NBC News President Neal Shapiro, former "Dateline NBC" executive producer?

A Classic!!

So you grill reporters and tell them GE might not like the feedback...'buzzsaw'

Jeez can't find the pix of the exploding pick-up truck

[AndyTiedye]

12. It Wouldn't Happen at NBC Because They Run Their Stories Past Karl Rove

before they ever see the light of day.

[Warren Stupidity]

28. CBS ran the memo past the white house n/t

[VegasWolf]

14. Dec. 2002, NBC news has just learned that Sadam Hussien has

hoarded weapons of mass destruction and that he intends
to use those weapons against the US.

NBC = bush cheerleaders.

[leesa]

16. Of course not. Not one word of truth is likely to come out of NBC

[zbdent]

17. Is NBC still run by the cousin or something related to GWB?

You know, the one who refused to call it for Gore in 2000?

[otohara]

18. Unless It's A White House Press Release

NBC won't go near Bush.

[VegasWolf]

19. Wouldn't happen on their sister network, Fox news, either. n/t

[5thGenDemocrat]

20. NBC: Rather's Story Wouldn't Happen Here

Not unless Chimpy stored the incriminating documents up his ass, it wouldn't. Because that's where NBC's nose has been for the last four years.
John
And is going to be for the next four.

[wellst0nev0ter]

22. Of Course It Won't Happen In NBC

NBC will NEVER fuck up a story about a sitting president by accident.

They'll just purposely manufacture their own stories in order to disgrace a sitting president for their own political ends

Another Lisa Myers flashback

Here we see NBC give Howard Dean "the treatment"

[bvar22]

23. "what are the angry letters going to say ...."

That is a question the DOES NOT BELONG in a newsroom!!!

GODDAMIT!!! Where did you guys learn journalism?????
If you are not getting ANGRY letters, and LOTS of them, you are not doing your job!!!


I am SICK:puke: of infotainment and press release journalism!!!!


These guys ALL have blood on their hands for helping george bush* and his merry pack of psychopaths commit mass murder in Iraq!!!
Our Democracy depended on the journalists to keep the politicians honest, and they FAILED....FAILED....FAILED....FAILED....and FAILED!!!

[ynksnewyork2]

24. what's the

frequency, kenneth??

[KittyWampus]

25. Is This An Onion Piece?This Isn't Serious, Is It?Who Are They Talking To?

Honestly, someone PLEASE TELL ME WHO THEY ARE TALKING TO IN THIS ARTICLE!!!

[Octafish]

26. Yeah. AWOL Bush is true. Besides, NBC blows up pick-up trucks for Dateline

Remember how NBC reported Chevys catch fire on impact?

NBC helped make news by adding fireworks to create a fire for the camera.

Regarding Dan Rather: The screwy documents are not the story.
NBC didn't even try to cover the story.

Heres the Truth: Bush got preferential treatment to get into the TANG. Bush was a lousy pilot. Bush did not complete his service.

Dan Rather had the story right.

[wellst0nev0ter]

27. Two Words: Juannita Broaddick

To be fair, pretty much all of the MSM ran with that phony story that was obviously manufactured to demean a sitting president, but until they can explain themselves during the Cinton years then all I hear is hollow words.

[Dr Fate]

30. So how do they explain their extensive Swiftboat Vet coverage?

And their WMD Saddam-9/11 connex coverage?

NBC is lying- and trusted journalists are not supposed to do that.