Open letter to CBS News

Although it took the suits at Black Rock over a week to decide that Don Imus "crossed the line" by uttering disgusting racial slurs over its airwaves, a General speaking his conscience brought swift and decisive action... one to which I felt compelled to respond.  My letter to CBS follows the jump.

Regarding CBS' firing of General John Batiste as a consultant, I would be among the first to affirm the network's right to craft and enforce its internal policies as it sees fit.  I would be loathe to encroach on CBS's rights as a private employer, and even more importantly, as a part of a free and independent press under the United States Constitution.

However, it is impossible not to notice that in firing the General and citing his own exercise of his free speech rights as a citizen, the network is engaging in a peculiar form of hypocrisy, at best, and revealing its own political biases at worst.  This would be mitigated if CBS' cited policy against retaining "advocates" as news consultants were evenly applied.  However, the network keeps on its payroll such vociferous pro-administration and pro-war voices as Michael O'Hanlon and Sandy Genelius, while silencing on its airwaves only the General.  It is difficult to come to any conclusion other than that it was the General's position which ran afoul of CBS policy.

If CBS is serious about objectivity in its news division, and enforcement of a "no advocacy" policy is a sincere attempt at preserving that objectivity, then it must be applied as aggressively toward advocates of continued occupation of Iraq by United States forces as it is against those who seek an end to that occupation.

The "Tiffany network" has come a long way from the day when Walter Cronkite courageously declared on air that, as an American, he could no longer support our country's military adventure in Viet Nam.  CBS was alone among the networks in reporting the Watergate break-in, and indications of an ongoing White House conspiracy to cover it up.  In spite of, or perhaps in part because of those "lapses" into advocacy, Cronkite remained the "most trusted man in America" for decades thereafter.  Now the network seeks to avoid the appearance of "advocacy," except when echoing the talking points of that same White House.  And that's the way it is.  

•  re

  Thumbs up.

  by cookiesandmilk on Fri May 11, 2007 at 04:53:37 PM PDT

  •  Thanks. n/t

    by jgilhousen on Fri May 11, 2007 at 04:56:14 PM PDT

•  Sorry. If the general was employed

  as a dispassionate military analyst, he is no longer suitable for that role, even if he is perfectly capable of filling it.  He is now suitable in the role of a very credible advocate for the anti-war position, which is something different.  

  by bugscuffle on Fri May 11, 2007 at 04:59:53 PM PDT

  •  I could agree...

    if the same measure were applied to those who advocate for the surge.  I thought that I made very clear that the issue is characterizing silencing one side of the argument as objectivity, while retaining the other.

    by jgilhousen on Fri May 11, 2007 at 05:06:18 PM PDT

•  In principle I agree with what CBS did

  as long as it does it to right-wing Generals too. What CBS should do instead, though, is have a disclaimer at the outset that says that "Person X believes like this and his views are not necessarily CBS's". As financial analysts are now asked if they own or are receiving personal incentives to promote a stock, the same should be reserved for political pundits and analysts.

  by jiacinto on Fri May 11, 2007 at 05:02:03 PM PDT

•   Thanks for diary

  Excellent letter.
  It's discouraging that networks that broadcast on the public airwaves don't even know when they're distorting the news in favor of corporate/political interests over the public interest.

  Major General Batiste showed enormous courage to resign from the military sacrificing his life career in order to stand up for the men and women sacrificing their lives in this tragic war.

  I knew he was special when I saw him testify in the Congress. As is General Eaton, who also testified and will be featured in VoteVets next ad.

  I called my local CBS station to complain. I'll write to CBS news also.

  by eve on Fri May 11, 2007 at 06:49:12 PM PDT

•  My letter was less polite:

  Dear Sirs and Madams,

  I was disappointed but perhaps not surprised that you saw fit to fire General Batiste for having the courage to speak out on a TV ad for VoteVets against a catastrophic "preventive" war in which our soldiers are dying daily. The consequences of this attack on Iraq were predicted by retired  military officers, like Senator Jim Webb (op-ed Washington Post 9/2002) and General Wesley Clark (Sept. 2002 Congressional testimony).

  I knew General Batiste was special when I saw him on C-SPAN recently testifying before Congress. He's a principled man of courage. Apparently that doesn't sit well for the network that long ago featured Edward R. Murrow. You do broadcast on the public airways. I suspect if General Batiste towed the party line and pretended that things in Iraq are "improving" he would have kept his job.
  Where is Walter Cronkite when we need him? Sadly his legacy and that of Edward R Murrow is nowhere to be seen.

  You sirs are complicit in the misguided, violent policies that benefit a very few at the expense of the public good.

  I don't watch Katie Couric because she won't stand up for progressive issues. Instead hosts reactionary views. It's a shame, since she had the courage to speak out on combating colon cancer.

  How about doing something that you feel is right for a change, maybe I and a lot of others would tune in.

  by eve on Fri May 11, 2007 at 06:51:59 PM PDT

  •  Seemed very polite to me...

    direct, honest, even impassioned, but I don't think Miss Manners would find anything in it with which to quibble.

    by jgilhousen on Fri May 11, 2007 at 07:00:07 PM PDT

•  Mine

  CBS fired Retired Army General John Batiste?  What is wrong with you people?  Most of America agrees with him on the War in Iraq.  Corporate glob.  Who the hell needs CBS anymore?

  I was pissed.

  by deben on Fri May 11, 2007 at 07:02:31 PM PDT

  •  I think there's plenty of room...

    for "ticked off" in this situation... and in our big tent.  ;)

    by jgilhousen on Fri May 11, 2007 at 07:13:53 PM PDT