The CBS report Josh Gildea mentioned in his column (1/19/05 \Killian memos reveal administration bias"") does not adhere to the standards of ethical journalism. In fact, it fails to live up to one of the main requirements Bob Steele and Ralph Barney mentioned in the introduction to their 1993 book, ""Doing Ethics in Journalism"" which is ""Do you have high level of confidence about the facts in your story and the sources providing them?""
Gildea conveniently left out of his piece the fact that 60 Minutes II (now 60 Minutes Wednesday) producer Mary Mapes was the go-between for the alleged source of this information and an editor in an effort to secure a book deal for the source of the information before securing it.
In running the story without verifying the authenticity of the documents upon which the report was based-now proven to be fake by experts familiar with typewriters of the period-CBS, Mapes and others violated the previously mentioned tenet of journalism relating to accuracy as an ethical foundation.
Gildea conveniently left out the fact that competitive zeal drove CBS to be first with the story instead of right on its facts, and that it tripped over itself in an attempt to beat the competition to the punch with an inaccurate story based on unverified documents.
By citing ethical lapses in The New York Times-lapses relating to the Iraq War that were also widely reported in other news sources-Gildea has hit upon yet another liberal institution of untouchable virtue that has seen its marketplace position erode because of its biased reporting.
The liberal media outrage would have been doubled or tripled had the same story been done on, for example, Hillary Clinton with fake documents.
Remember her ""vast right-wing conspiracy"" remarks on The Today Show relating to her husband's perjury in the Monica Lewinsky affair? Those remarks led to her being elected to the U.S. Senate from New York as a Democrat.
Gildea's column and its lack of ethical understanding relating to journalism are precisely what is wrong with the public at large's understanding of journalists, and yet another reason for why journalists get a bad rap. Everyone enamored with liberal media institutions, and all students of journalism, should take note of the 60 Minutes incident as an object lesson of what not to do in journalism.
In the 2004 elections we heard a lot about morals and values. But what we didn't hear mentioned very often is that one group or one religious perspective does not define what is moral, what is just and what values mean for all Americans.
To be pro-choice is to be moral. Believing that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, that every child should be wanted and loved and that women should be in charge of their own destinies, are strong moral values. Trusting individuals to make their own informed decisions about sexuality, family planning and childbearing is a moral value.
Believing that women should have an equal place at life's table and should be respected as capable decision makers are moral values.
And believing children flourish best in families and communities where they are nurtured, honored and loved is a moral value. Fundamentalist Christians do not speak for me when they talk about family values. My family's value is to respect and trust our fellow citizens to make their own decisions based on their life situation, religion and health.
