SPJ responds to report on CBS News 60 Minutes' coverage of Bush Guard service: Jan. 10, 2005.(Society of Professional Journalists)(Brief Article)

INDIANAPOLIS -- SPJ President Irwin Gratz issued the following statement about the report of the Independent Review Panel looking into CBS News 60 Minutes reporting on President Bush's National Guard service:

This is a discouraging case of experienced news people trying too hard to "get it first," before "getting it right." Sadly, the report's findings provide ample support for CBS's action in dismissing four employees involved in producing the segment and overseeing that news production. The lessons taught today are those journalists should learn before they ever do a story: be suspicious, check things out, and if they fail to, do more reporting or kill the …