Quote:
Originally posted by Looger@Nov 23 2004, 06:09 PM
i'm still not sure of the responsibility thing here.
i mean, does the anchor fact-check everything handed to him?
shouldn't his copy editor step down, or something?
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It wasn't an evening news story where he was simply reading the copy.
It was Dan Rather as the lead reporter with a 60 Minutes exclusive. His producer should be taking a big fall as she was the one pushing it hard without fully verifying the documents in question, documents that later proved fraudulent.
Rather's crime was not insisting on verification before airing it and then not coming clean and admitting a mistake for weeks even though it was evident CBS had been hustled badly.
Rather attempted to dismiss the fraud by saying the gist of the story was true.
You can decide if the gist of the story was true or not but the bottom line was Rather and 60 Minutes came out looking like flunkees from a junior journalism school - and, fortunately for GW Bush and the Republicans, that's all that people remember.
Cowperson
