"Chairman Moonbeam" Speaks

Fathomable:

"We are also gratified that the Panel, after extensive analysis and consideration, has found that, while CBS News made numerous errors of judgment and execution in this story, these mistakes were not motivated by any political agenda. As the Report states, 'The Panel does not find a basis to accuse those who investigated, produced, vetted or aired the Segment of having a political bias.'" -- Leslie Moonves, Chairman, CBS

If CBS could stand by its faked memos for two weeks, it can certainly be expected to put forth a similar defense of its journalistic objectivity. Trouble is, many didn't believe the first defense; many won't believe the second.

Unfathomable:

"Assuming this important new role [Senior VP, Standards and Special Projects -- the fact-checker czar) will be Linda Mason ... reporting directly to the President of CBS News. Linda has a long and distinguished career at CBS News, which she joined in 1966. She was the first woman in many of the positions she has filled at CBS News: from desk assistant in radio to writer in Newsfilm syndication, to writer/associate producer at WCBS-TV News to writer then producer at the CBS Morning News, to producer, investigative producer, senior producer at the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and then Dan Rather, to executive producer of The CBS Weekend News and then executive producer of CBS News Sunday Morning as well, to vice president of Public Affairs and executive producer of CBS Reports."

Appointing a long-time insider to this post is a grave mistake -- an unbelievably bad mistake. CBS needed to appoint an outsider, someone akin to an independent counsel with no ties or vested interest in CBS' staff and leadership. I doubt this is a role somone with Mason's tenure can fill.

Read Leslies ("Chairman Moonbeam") Moonves' entire statement here.