CBS Tries to Clear UpFuture of 'Evening News'
Date: 27 September 2004
By Jacques Steinberg
Jacques Steinberg
Dan Rather's acknowledgment that he erred in broadcasting 60 Minutes report on Pres Bush's National Guard service has further complicated question of when he will relinquish role as CBS Evening News anchor and to whom; CBS probe could hasten his departure or extend his stay as anchor, particularly if network decides it cannot move until controversy cools; most likely successors are John Roberts and Scott Pelley; ratings graphs; photos (M)
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Look for Substance, Not Sizzle
Date: 27 September 2004
By Adam Clymer
Adam Clymer
Op-Ed article by Adam Clymer says test for journalists in presidential debates will be to summarize and analyze what is said without emphasizing style over substance; says research shows that public's views are influenced by what news media emphasize; says in striving to be evenhanded, to seem fair to both sides, journalists can sometimes forget to be fair to public (M)
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Quiet, Please! Suddenly, the S.E.C. Is Listening
Date: 26 September 2004
By Gary Rivlin
Gary Rivlin
THERE was a time not so long ago when a company poised to go public would invite a reporter inside to memorialize the moments leading up to the blessed event. Photographs of founders toasting their stock market debut with plastic cups of bubbly were a staple of magazine articles. And so often did chief executives of newly minted public companies show up on CNBC on their big day that the appearances seemed a rite of passage, not unlike a victory lap. But no more. Like so much in the post-Enron world, the quiet period -- which begins when a company files paperwork to go public and ends no sooner than 25 days after its stock starts trading -- has been redefined. Where once lawyers offered a nuanced interpretation of what the Securities and Exchange Commission permitted during the quiet period, clients in recent months are hearing a far simpler message: Place a mute in your mouth and just shrug whenever a reporter comes knocking.
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Suspect in Attacks on Pakistan President Is Killed
Date: 27 September 2004
By Salman Masood
Salman Masood
Amjad Hussain Farooqi, accused mastermind of two assassination attempts on Gen Pervez Musharraf, is killed by Pakistani law enforcement authorities; was also suspected in killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl; has been subject of nationwide hunt (M)
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A Leak Probe Gone Awry
Date: 27 September 2004
Editorial expresses dismay at Federal District Court Judge Thomas Hogan's order for New York Times reporter Judith Miller to testify before grand jury investigating disclosure of covert operative's identity; says if White House official intentionally triggered publication of name of CIA operative to undermine her husband's credibility and silence criticism of Iraq policy, it was serious abuse of power; claims none of subpoenaed journalists were involved in central issue: identity of White House official who made disclosure
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Real Candidates Have Curves
Date: 27 September 2004
By Alex Alben
Alex Alben
Op-Ed article by Alex Alben on changes to modern political process that would improve caliber of candidate selection process; says Federal Communications Commission should require every radio and television station it licenses to devote three hours to each Congressional race; says lack of broadcast media attention to local races collides with increasing ability of well-financed candidates to dominate local airwaves through paid media; says money and celebrity will continue to dominate politics until publicly owned airwaves are made to cover important political races; drawing (M)
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The Kidnap Weapon
Date: 27 September 2004
BY William Safire
William Safire
William Safire Op-Ed column says Zarqawi terrorist network's weapon in Iraq, publicized kidnapping, is win-win situation for group: if ransom is paid it means more cash to buy rockets and mortars, and if ransom is not paid, film of hostage's beheading strikes fear into heart of morbidly fascinated viewer; says responsible journalists should consider wisdom of allowing media-savvy terrorists to 'play them like a violin'; says media must report events, but need not go along with terrorist propagandists in milking the most horror out of it; says John Kerry helped to magnify terrorists' kidnap weapon by approving campaign advertisement that underscores message Zarqawi has been sending; says paid evocation of horror by political candidate is terrible blunder (M)
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The U.S. Race in Arabic Newspapers
Date: 26 September 2004
By Peter C. Valenti
Peter Valenti
Excerpts from several recent articles about US presidential election that have appeared in Arab newspapers; photo (M)
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'On the Left ...'
Date: 26 September 2004
Michael Mangano letter says CNN's employment of James Carville and Paul Begala on Crossfire even while they help John Kerry's presidential campaign does not diminish network's journalistic integrity
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Naming the Plaintiff
Date: 26 September 2004
University of Missouri Journalism School Prof Geneva Overholser letter disputes Sept 20 article saying that she ended her column with Poynter Institute because of excessive editing and that Poynter was following common journalist practice in withholding name of woman who accuses Kobe Bryant of rape; holds that it is common journalist practice to name both plaintiff and defendant in civil suit
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