"Cronkite Laughs at Rather's Expense, But it's No Joke at CBS."

[KoKo]

A good but chilling read.

Cronkite Laughs at Rather’s Expense, But It’s No Joke at CBS


At 87 Cronkite is still sharp. He followed his opening gags with more laugh lines and some recollections that put former CNN anchor Bernie Shaw on the spit.

But no one is laughing at CBS News headquarters in New York or in the Washington bureau. Memogate, in which CBS aired a story based on forged documents about George W. Bush’s military service, is no joke.

“Everyone’s depressed,” says a producer in New York.

“They’re hauling everyone in,” says a magazine reporter who has talked to friends on 60 Minutes, the show that aired the flawed story.

“They” refers to the two men asked by CBS to investigate the document debacle: moderate Republican and former governor Dick Thornburgh, and former AP president Louis Boccardi.

“The panel has begun its work,” says CBS spokeswoman Sandy Genelius.

How has the fallout from Memogate affected news gathering at CBS? Reporters are telling other journalists that sources are starting to back out of stories for 60 Minutes, which airs on Sunday and Wednesday nights.

If sources are clamming up, this is the kind of fallout from the spate of recent attacks on journalism that could weaken all reporters. Will sources keep coming across? Will they trust us?
http://www.washingtonian.com/inwashington/buzz/100104.html

[Cha]

1. I hope Rather is fine...if would be nice

the "investigation" could come up with something solid on WTF happened!

[freesqueeze]

2. "Would Cronkite step in for a few months to resuscitate CBS?"

Why should he? Would anyone go back to a former job and lend a hand if they are in trouble. Most would not and it's mostly because (a) you don't work there anymore and (b) there is the matter of the current job to consider.

Walter's earned to right to criticize the news media. CBS and Rather have earned the right to take a rhetorical beating.

I know many here will disagree but I feel that rip and readers are a dime a dozen. CBS should just hire some attractive milque-toast unemployed IS Manager to do the job.