CBS delayed major Iraqi abuse story

Last week, several major media outlets, including CBS, broke a news story about U.S. soldiers… Last week, several major media outlets, including CBS, broke a news story about U.S. soldiers allegedly abusing Iraqi prisoners, justifiably shocking viewers and prompting an internal investigation into military interrogation practices.

But the public should have known sooner. The Associated Press reported yesterday that CBS, at the behest of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, held the story for two weeks before airing video footage of prisoners being abused.

In journalism, holding a pressing story for two weeks is unheard of. In broadcast journalism, which prides itself on up-to-the-minute news and embedded reporters, it’s downright irresponsible.

CBS has a responsibility to its viewers, and in not running the story it failed to do its job.

CBS anchor Dan Rather spoke to Gen. Richard Myers more than a week before the report — which included graphic video of naked, hooded prisoners — aired. Myers asked Rather to delay airing it, according to Jeff Fager, executive producer of “60 Minutes II.”

Instead of acquiescing, Rather should have offered some sort of compromise, or told him that just because the military wasn’t doing its job, there’s no reason CBS shouldn’t do its job

Myers and Fager cited the story’s potentially “inflammatory” nature and the potential risk to American lives as reasons to delay its airing. By doing so, CBS tacitly asserted that American lives were of intrinsically higher value than those of the Iraqis allegedly being abused.

Instead of reporting about the abuse of humans by other humans, CBS made an incorrect judgment call and made it into an issue about Iraqis and Americans. Sitting on the story for two weeks may have even allowed more abuse, since the internal investigations and changes in the U.S. military’s policies concerning detention and interrogation did not occur until after the story broke.

CBS’s decision further threatened the credibility of major news media. With the Sinclair Broadcast Group pulling the “Nightline” recitation of the names of those killed in Iraq from seven affiliate stations, and FOX News’ daily redefinition of yellow journalism, it’s disappointing to see Dan Rather — considered one of the most credible men in journalism — under the government’s thumb.

Truth, not the government or special interests, should drive journalism. Instead, the public had to wait for its news and “60 Minutes II” became “60 Minutes II Weeks Later.”