CBS Caught Sending Angry Emails To Viewers Who Criticized Couric's Iraq Coverage

[babylonsister]

http://www.webpronews.com/insiderreports/2007/09/17/how-cbs-blew-up-my-puff-piece

How CBS Blew Up My Puff Piece

Submitted by Jason Lee Miller on Mon, 09/17/2007 - 12:36.


It was bloggers who forced CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather into early retirement, and yet CBS – at least somebody there – is still being condescending towards the new media.


This story began in pursuit of an ironic 300-word puff piece about somewhat of a catfight between MoveOn.org and CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric. WebProNews is not in the habit of dabbling in political squabbles, lest they directly involve Internet and Web issues that affect online business. We also cover Web 2.0 and blogs – the new citizen media.

In short, we didn't have a dog in this fight, and your humble author who, just like Ferris Bueller doesn't believe in isms, would tell you he is neither Right nor Left, but maybe, if he had to label himself, is a John Stuart Mill Utilitarianist with Thomas Paine Libertarian tendencies and a slightly Aristotelian disdain for the unwashed masses (so maybe you shouldn't ask).

Regardless, WebProNews becomes involved because someone at CBS allegedly (a CBS spokeswoman was quite adamant about the "allegedly" part) insulted viewers who complained about Couric's "softball" reporting from Iraq and mocked them for getting their information from blogs.

Oh, and Katie Couric's publicist threatened to sue us, which also gets us involved in a much bigger way, and makes this story, much, much more newsworthy, but we'll get to that later.

The story begins this way:

MoveOn.org posted a scathing video on YouTube accusing Couric of not doing her job as a journalist and just parroting government talking points, and encouraged MoveOn members to email CBS to complain.

more...

http://www.webpronews.com/insiderreports/2007/09/17/how-cbs-blew-up-my-puff-piece

[Richard Steele]

1. K&R

[depakid]

2. "mocked them for getting their information from blogs."

The latest example of irony deficiency.

It's become an epidemic.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

3. Whew!

That's a great article,very good recounting of the chain of events.

Those emails from CBS are dripping with contempt.

Not even the perfunctory, "we appreciate the variety of opinions among our viewers" or some blow off.

:kick: :kick:

MKJ

[Cha]

4. Bloggers are responsible for

Dan Rather getting fired? Which ones..freepers? Are they still around..do they have their website or are they lurking here?

[The Count]

5. The bloggers who set up Rather were themselves mouthpieces for Rove&comp

I suppose they are only acceptable as a "source" when they are right wing.

[gateley]

6. Man, it just keeps getting more bizarre. Recommend. nt

[cyberpj]

7. Kick. nt

[Supersedeas]

8. Katie Lipstick Couric demands that you make her popular--by whatever means necessary

[BornagainDUer]

9. Couric is a media whore. She wears a stone cold stare no matter if

she's talking about the latest soft drink craze or Iraq war casualties.