by arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,
October 8, 2004
The mainstream media just loves to find fault with people, companies and political organizations (especially of the "right" persuasion). They salivate at the opportunity to expose deception and other scandals. But when one of their own becomes embroiled in controversy, they quickly circle the wagons, defending, whining, complaining and rationalizing behaviour that they would readily and proudly denounce if it happened to anyone else.
In the wake of Rathergate when Dan Rather staunchly defended his use of a document that appeared to have been forged to show that George W. Bush had avoided his National Guard Service, his fellow newscasters rallied around him. Fellow anchor Peter Jennings said, "I don’t think anyone should judge a man by one event in his career". Touching words. Where was Peter when Mark David Chapman was being denied parole for just one event in his life — the murder of John Lennon? NBC anchor, Tom Brokaw said that the incident with the Dan had been grossly exaggerated in comparison to other news such as the White House having "lied" about Iraq ( He certainly shows no bias there). Brokaw also said that Bush and other conservatives are out to "demonize" Dan Rather. It was only a matter of time before the entire Rather episode would be put down to the vast right wing conspiracy.
CNN’s aaron Brown also got into the act by reciting those immortal words, "there but for the grace of God go I". Brown’s statement shows that not only he but the rest of those journalists who are rallying around the Dan are missing the crucial point of the Rather incident.
Brown is right in the sense that obtaining a false document and running with it is something that could have happened to anyone in the media. But that is not what was objectionable about Rather’s behaviour. It was what happened after.
Once it became evident that there were good reasons to believe that the font and features of the document were consistent with current software programs and could not have been produced on a 1970s era typewriter, Rather and CBS continued to insist on the documents authenticity. Without regard to any of the indicators that showed the document was forged, they blamed the White House and unknown enemies for the scandal. Rather went to absolutely ridiculous lengths by saying that it didn’t even matter if the document was forged; the information in it was true. Of course the only real evidence that the information was true was the forged document itself; otherwise, the issue of a forged document would not have been important.
It is disgusting to see the media that just love to take down other people fawn over one of their own who gets himself in a predicament. They have one rule for themselves and one for everyone else.