CBS memo scandal hurt credibility of press, online survey of readers suggests

Most readers say getting the media back on track is a matter of basics.
By RYAN PITTS
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Three strong themes emerged when a national group of newspaper editors asked readers whether the CBS News memo scandal had affected their faith in election coverage.
UYes, because CBS violated principles of good journalism.
UNo, because everyone makes mistakes.
UNo, because the media had no credibility left to lose.
Credibility always is a media concern, but the memo story became a flashpoint for questions over trustworthy political coverage.
"This incident has destroyed some of my trust in the media," said Barbara Muscolo of Campbell. "Dan Rather and CBS behaved in a contemptible fashion in rushing this information out to the public and denying that the documents were forged."Good and bad news
Responses to an online survey by the Associated Press Managing Editors' National Credibility Roundtables Project suggested some good news -- plenty of readers said human error goes with the territory -- along with the bad.
Even more said the media needs to put in plenty of work to win back the public trust. On this readers offered advice, listing ways to remind the media of its mission, as well as a few ideas that conflict with journalistic tradition.
A total of 39 news organizations including The Vindicator sent e-mail to 16,575 readers, and 2,543 responses were received from 49 states and the District of Columbia, a response rate of 15 percent.
The results are not scientific; those who responded are likely to be among the more wired and interactive readers that newspapers have. They were polled because they had given their e-mail address to their local newspaper and comments were taken only online.
Clear-cut example
The CBS story was a clear-cut example of everything news consumers complain about.
Online critics immediately questioned documents central to a "60 Minutes" piece on President Bush's National Guard service. Traditional journalists joined them the next day. CBS News tried to defend itself even as details of ethical lapses trickled out -- raising even more questions about its ability to objectively report the news.
Some readers explained that they'd always had suspicions of agenda-driven coverage, and the memo story told them they were right. Others said they still felt comfortable trusting the rest of the media, but would be keeping an eye on CBS. Or possibly, not keeping an eye on CBS: Ratings for the evening news broadcast showed a significant drop after criticism of the memo story surfaced.
Forgiving
Other readers were more sympathetic. "Everyone makes mistakes, that's why I use more than one source of information," said Ryan Tietz of Warren.
Readers like Tietz fell in line with a recent Gallup poll, in which most of the public described CBS' actions as an "honest mistake."
And then there were the readers the media lost a long time ago.
"I tend to take media coverage with a certain grain of salt anyway, said Pat Jacobs of Youngstown. "Depending on what station you watch, there's going to some bias based on the network powers-that-be."
Although this group of readers may be unreachable, New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen said the rest offer a couple of clear lessons as the media moves forward.
First, don't abuse those who are willing to forgive.
"This is why many critics of CBS have drawn attention to the response from Sept. 9 to Sept. 20, when CBS finally admitted to having made a mistake," Rosen said.
And second, when a breakdown in journalism cuts loose some of the public trust, a display of good principles gives media the best chance of getting it back.
Back on track
So how does the media go about repairing credibility with a skeptical readership? More than a few survey respondents said there's only one way: fire everyone and start from scratch.
But most readers say getting the media back on track is simply a matter of getting back to basics. More objectivity, fewer anonymous sources. Be skeptical, but not hostile. Take time to verify the story, be quick to admit when you're wrong. And please, send those sound bites into the abyss.
"Give us just the facts and all the facts without the hype and sensationalism," said Rebecca Jones of New Springfield.
"The basics. Objective and honest reporting of the facts. Use images to support an argument, not to make one either explicitly or through implication," said Matthew Manos of Boardman.
One suggestion for improving credibility was the most pervasive among survey responses, and it's not going to surprise many journalists: Lose the liberal bias.
Some readers, like Keith Hipple of Youngstown, assume that conservatives are a rare breed in newsrooms these days.
"The media has been liberal run and liberal in its way of looking at things all my life. I don't look for this to ever change in my lifetime," he said.
According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, Hipple isn't straying too far into hyperbole. Most journalists continue to identify themselves as moderates, but at national media outlets, self-professed liberals outnumbered conservatives, 34 percent to 7 percent. At local outlets, 23 percent to 12 percent.