When the News Is Wrong
May 21, 2005 — -- America, we've got a problem. Actually, two problems. One is the news media's loss of credibility because some news organizations have reported stories that are wrong or fabricated. Their BAD.
That contributes to the other problem: the public's disdain for the news and the people who provide it. Too many Americans believe we are all too liberal and we slant the news. They think we deserve no respect.
Look at how reporters and camera people are portrayed on television and in the movies. It makes me crazy. Typically, we're seen as a gang of pushing, shouting, obnoxious people, waving microphones and note pads, trying desperately to get a quote or a picture. The police, politicians, business leaders and celebrities -- in these fictional dramas -- routinely refer to the press as "vultures." Characters are always trying to hide things from the media. But you know what that means? They are really trying to hide it from you, from the public.
But it doesn't help our credibility at all when, in the space of a few months, two major news organizations have had to admit to the whole world that they screwed up. They reported stories that were wrong. They had to retract them and apologize.
Most recently, Newsweek magazine had to retract a clause in a short story. The magazine said government investigators looking into interrogation abuses at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have confirmed that interrogators, in an attempt to rattle suspects, flushed a Koran down a toilet.
An unnamed government source told Newsweek reporters this happened at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where the detainees are mostly Muslims and those in charge are Americans. You should know that the Koran is to Muslims what the Bible is to Christians, or the Torah is to Jews. It is considered holy, and the word of God.
The story about alleged American desecration of its holy book was too much for many in the Muslim world. Part of one sentence in a short story in a weekly newsmagazine was used to stir up riots in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia. Sixteen people died.
As silly kids we used to chant: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Maybe we need to rethink that little ditty.
Newsweek's words were deadly and further tarnished America's image in the Middle East.
Then there's CBS News. Weeks before the 2004 election, Dan Rather reported on "60 Minutes II" that his news team had obtained documents proving President Bush got preferential treatment during the Vietnam War and did not fulfill his National Guard obligation.
The story was attacked immediately. Rather repeatedly defended it as accurate, while his CBS bosses launched an internal investigation. The report was based on memos that some critics called forgeries, and kinder critics described as "impossible to authenticate." CBS News was wrong. The result? It didn't kill any people; it just killed the careers of Dan Rather and three highly respected veteran CBS producers.
CBS News? Newsweek? There have been other cases of disreputable reporters plagiarizing or simply making up stories at The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and scores of smaller media outlets. Mistakes are made, but the vast majority of the news and information reported by the major news organizations is carefully researched, edited and deemed accurate before it goes in print or on the air.
We believe it is our duty to the American people. Yet the distrust is out there and growing every year.
A University of Connecticut poll found this month that 60 percent of Americans say the "media in general" do a fair or poor job reporting information accurately. Only 39 percent think the media do an excellent or good job. Twenty years ago, these ratings were much better. But 20 years ago there weren't so many 24-hour news channels, news by Internet and cell phone, and independent bloggers, who can say anything they want without retribution.
Every profession has some bad apples and they are usually found out and thrown out. They don't spoil the whole barrel. Every news organization I know is trying harder than ever to regain credibility and public confidence.
This country was founded by men who believed a free press was so important to democracy, they gave it protection under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Just because once in a rare while some organization gets something wrong, the American public cannot just dismiss the news media altogether. While many avoid us when they don't want to tell the truth, our job is to hang in there and dig it out sooner or later. But we need to get the truth out. Not for us. For you.