Jon, Jon, Jon. You've Got Moxie!

A few blogs back, I wrote about Jon Friedman's coverage of his own industry and some of the known liars that have tainted journalism during the last three or four decades.

I noted that Jon's column is fun and entertaining to read but also that Jon didn't just deliver softballs as if he were in a summer co-ed league. Jon has the chutzpah (we call it guts down South) to take someone to task, if need be.

He has done just that with today's column about Dan Rather's act of hubris in filing a lawsuit against CBS. (Click here for details.)

You might think Jon's criticism of Dan is because Jon's former employer was CBS MarketWatch -- now MarketWatch, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company -- but if you read his column regularly, and even today's column about the lawsuit, you'll see he is critical of CBS's flagging news efforts.

And they've been declining since, well, since Walter Cronkite retired.


Let's face it, Dan Rather was one of those people who left the basic tenants of journalism long ago in the pursuit of ratings, self-promotion and grandiosity and those should never be in the list of a journalist's attributes.

As poorly as she's doing, CBS is better off with Katie Couric than it was in Dan's last 10 years in the anchor seat.

Why dismiss someone who admitted he knew the reports on Bush's military service were unsubstantiated but reported on them anyway?

For the same reason The Washington Post fired Janet Cooke and The New York Times dismissed Jayson Blair and The New Republic canned Stephen Glass.

They dishonored the craft by (multiple choice, so you can match it with the goat who did it):

1. Committing plagiarism


2. Fabricating all or parts of stories


3. Lying

Journalism ethics and standards apply to all journalists, print and broadcast. Rather checked his set at the door when he and his team (also fired, forced to resign, told to take early retirement, whatever...) went ahead with the unconfirmed story on Bush.

Now retired Editor-In-Chief at CBS, Tony Burman, once said, “Every news organization has only its credibility and reputation to rely on.”

Rather tarnished CBS's rep and now it appears he wants to tank it with his vindictiveness.

In the meantime, I will continue to get my news from people and organizations who appear to be truthful, accurate, objective, impartial and fair. When Jon Friedman stops having these qualities, I'll write a blog entry on what a cad he is.

I have a feeling that blog may never get penned.