I didn't see the report, but apparently just weeks after what must have been the most humiliating experience of his career, Rather is at it again:
Three weeks after he denounced the internet as being "filled with rumors," the embattled CBS anchor ran a story on his Tuesday "Evening News" program hoping to stir up fear of an impending military draft.unbelievable.
In a story that was a textbook example of slipshod reporting, CBS reporter Richard Schlesinger used debunked internet hoax emails and an unlabeled interest group member to scare elderly "Evening" viewers into believing that the U.S. government is poised to resume the draft.
Not only is Kerry spouting this crap (you almost expect it from him), but now it's getting coverage on the evening news? Good God. What's next? Rather reports on exiled leaders from third world countries who could regain their positions if only they could access the millions of dollars in their hidden accounts, and desperately need the public's help to do so? Or maybe reports on the alligators in the sewer that the Bush administration has allowed to grow to unbelievable size? Oh, no...wait...maybe he'll report on how John Kerry is helping the poor by donating money every time you forward one of his emails.
These emails are as ridiculous as the memos were, if not more so. By the way, besides the examinations listed in the post, snopes has also covered it. Perhaps the most outlandish thing regarding this whole issue is that (as ratherbiased reports) the two pieces of legislation looking to re-establish the draft were introduced by Democrats! Although nobody ever comes out and overtly says so, the idea is that if re-elected, Bush would re-introduce the draft. Look at how cleverly they put this quote after Bush's statement that a draft was unnecessary:
SCHLESINGER (voiceover): But Beverly's not buying it. She's a Republican, but she's also a single issue voter.Note also, the "but" implying that the Republican party and the "single issue" are at odds. Then, the follow-up:
(on-camera) Would you vote for a Democrat?The implication? That only a Democrat can possibly save her sons from being inducted.
The memo story was disturbing, in that we expect the mainstream news to have at least a modicum of respectability. This story is just insulting.
See, but the clever way they get around this is by not reporting it as "news" but by doing it as a "man on the street" piece. See, the woman thinks and says these things. Not us!
ReplyDeleteTold you so:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.indcjournal.com/archives/001032.php
"The truth of the e-mails were absolutely irrelevant to the piece, because all the story said was that people were worried. It’s a story about human beings that are afraid of the draft. We did not say that this (e-mail) was true, it’s just circulating. We are not verifying the e-mail." Linda Karas, the CBS News Producer that oversaw the creation of the segment.
Hmmm...well if that's the case, where are all the CBS stories about the invading aliens based on those Weekly World News reports. After all, if the validity of the supporting documents doesn't matter, then I say fear of galactic enslavement trumps fear of the draft every time. Could it be that there are just some stories that are too silly for CBS?
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note:
ReplyDelete"We did not say that this (e-mail) was true, it’s just circulating. We are not verifying the e-mail"
And yet, they didn't feel it necessary to say that during the story? That's like doing a story on a guy accused of killing a dozen or so people and then not mentioning that he was eventually acquitted. "Hey, we didn't say he DID it...we just said he was accused."