The Buck Stops .... Over There with My Employee



Apparently Dan isn't taking all this sitting down. In fact, he has been allowed to take is read and retire. So I guess all those years of Dan explaining to us in his sanctimonious stories where the buck should stop - that he has finally decided exactly where it does stop, and it stops with those who worked under him.

Following what has been called "Memogate" (God, is anyone else tired of the media putting the 'gate' on all these '..gates'?) - CBS has decided to let Dan Rather retire in March (so that it doesn't seem as though it was a result of Memogate) and has fired all the little people involved. Those who's heads rolled from the chopping block include: CBS Senior Vice President and Producer Mary Mapes. Why? Because according to the media (you will love this), reporters only report the news. The fact finding is the responsibility of the producer. Hmm. Sounds like some high level CYA to me.

Well, here is a thought then. Of course there are no WMDs - or at least we can't find them - so why was Dan so hard on the President? Shouldn't Dan been more forgiving of the President and hard on the actual people who provided the bad intelligence?

Dan was hard on the President because of the old saying - The buck stops here. Until recently, it was the top guy (or gal) who utlimately was responsible. And this is exactly why 'The Dan' (to borrow from author and former CBS employee Bernard Goldberg) was hard on ole George.

Well, I do not think justice has been done here. Perhaps it's time for Dan to look in the mirror and take one for the team as he expected of President Bush. Perhaps Dan should protect his employees and take the fall himself. But perhaps that would be expecting too much from someone who lives in an industry who's job it is to root out all the evil of everyone around him and yet despises anyone who does the same to him.

It seems Dan has learned one thing after all his years in journalism - and that is where the buck stops. And the buck at CBS apparently stops over there, with employees like Mary Mapes.

Posted: Sat - January 15, 2005 at 09:11 PM   If this blog entry was of use to you, why not show your appreciation by donating to support the site? Just click on the MAKE A DONATION button on the right hand side of the page! It's all handled by PAYPAL.
  |   |   | | | |

©