INDCJournal: Taunting the Alligator

« Smells Like ... | Main | Underrepresented by the MSM »

November 24, 2004

Taunting the Alligator

Posted by Bill

The New York Sun has a pretty good article that features a brief interview with me about Rather's resignation. I'd offer one significant edit to the piece:

Mr. Ardolino runs the INDC Journal blog, which, along with three other Web commentaries, pulled apart the authenticity of the documents, questioning such elements as whether their type font could have been available on a Vietnam-era typewriter available to a commanding officer of Mr. Bush's in the National Guard.

In truth, literally dozens of blogs tackled the documents, along with at least five that led the initial charge, so Mr. Dettmer probably overstates my credit.

As an aside, I've read a few comments, blog postings or e-mails that suggest that the bloggers demanding more accountability maintain some sort of destructive mindset of attack or single-minded giddiness at the prospect of continuing a campaign against CBS. Believe me, nothing could be farther from the truth. It's honestly depressing that CBS hasn't addressed this issue with responsibility, considering the gravity of the journalistic fraud attempted by the staff at 60 Minutes II, most notably, Mary Mapes. The subsequent attempt to stonewall and malign the critics of the piece was just the icing on the cake.

Recall the transgressions against competence and neutrality:

1. The use of obvious forgeries to support allegations against the President just prior to an election.
2. The employment of virulently partisan, bitterly motivated, highly impeachable sources.
3. The truncation or distorted context of the testimony from other sources.
4. The systematic elimination of extremely relevant sources that contradicted the anti-Bush narrative, including TxANG employees, family members and forensics experts that raised questions about the authenticity of the documents.
5. Improper communication with the Kerry campaign; likely collaboration, given the story timeline and subsequent ads by the DNC.

This entire scenario amounts to a malicious political hit based on false, selective and spun evidence. It's not a simple error in judgment; it's malice. And the implications for such a failed and exposed attempt to affect an election without real consequences range far beyond any personal animus I may have for Mary Mapes, Dan Rather or CBS News. So don't mistake my negativity about Rather's resignation or willingness to pursue a more tangible outcome for hatred of CBS or enjoyment of the hunt; the prospect strikes me as a very unpleasant chore. It's like facing a root canal. But real motivation hinges around a simple desire for a minimally accountable media. Can any of us honestly declare justice served and walk away if Mary Mapes keeps her job?

The next steps rely on the anticipated findings of the independent investigation and subsequent disciplinary action taken by CBS News.

UPDATE: Post slightly edited for clarity.

Posted by Bill at November 24, 2004 11:47 AM | TrackBack (3)

Comments

Actually I might admit to having a "destructive mindset of attack" myself, at least with regard to the extremists at CBS News. I'm reasonably sure that they are now in the process of imploding, and want to let internal organizational processes do the rest.

Maybe that's about the same thing as "accountability."

Posted by: Commissar at November 24, 2004 03:20 PM

I think one of the problems is that we (the masses) are trying to hold the MSM to some sort of mythical standards that never really existed. Oh, sure, they always claimed there were standards, and we took them a their word. Well, shame on us.

I have recently been reading some 18th and early 19th century American history. Back then, if a person aspired to public office, the first step in the game plan was to start a newspaper. That required some wealth.

In thier papers, they published their agendas, and backed it all up with propaganda which supported their cause. I am beginning to suspect that things have never really changed.

What HAS changed is that the web now allows �the masses� to bypass the mass media. And cheaply, too.

After 200 years, the information cartel has been broken. Some of the old guard understands this, but others don�t have a clue yet. Some will go down grudgingly, spinning things the way they always have. A few might see the writing on the wall, and help morph this thing into something new and different.

Of the old guard, it�s tempting to say �Off with their heads!� I admit that I have said as much myself. But its probably better to say �Never again.�

Posted by: jmaster at November 24, 2004 03:20 PM

Among the next steps might potentially be legal action against CBS by prosecutors in Texas, along the lines of evidence tampering counts listed at Scylla & Charybdis.

Posted by: Baron Bodissey at November 24, 2004 08:02 PM

You nailed it when you said "malice." That's the element it is usually very hard to prove.

Posted by: exguru at November 25, 2004 02:31 PM