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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Truths Worth Telling
Date: 28 September 2004
By Daniel Ellsberg
Daniel Ellsberg
Op-Ed article by Daniel Ellsberg says leak that occurred recently with National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq prompted long-overdue debate on realities and prospects of that war; says leakers are often accused of being partisan, but measure of their patriotism should be accuracy and importance of information they reveal; says it would be great public service to reveal true picture of Bush administration's plans for Iraq before this week's debate on foreign policy between Pres Bush and Sen Kerry; drawing (M)
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Swagger vs. Substance
Date: 28 September 2004
By Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman Op-Ed column expresses fear that news media's emphasis on candidates' acting skills rather than their substance will influence public's take on upcoming debates between Pres Bush and Sen Kerry (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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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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Reporters Put Under Scrutiny in C.I.A. Leak
Date: 28 September 2004
By Adam Liptak
Adam Liptak
Investigation into source of leak identifying Valerie Plame as CIA agent is unlike other leak investigations, which are often half-hearted and one-sided; disclosure of undercover intelligence agent's identity is felony, and this leak may have been motivated by politics; it came shortly after her husband Joseh C Wilson IV wrote Op-Ed article in The New York Times accusing Bush administration of manipulating intelligence about Iraq's efforts to obtain unconventional weapons; photos of journalists subpoenaed or thought to have been subpoenaed in case and status of their cases (M)
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7 Arabs Killed in 5 Attacks, One by a West Bank Settler
Date: 28 September 2004
By Greg Myre
Greg Myre
Seven Palestinians are killed in scattered violence including Israeli airstrike in Gaza Strip and raid by soldiers into West Bank refugee camp; Palestinian gunmen in Gaza City abduct Riad Ali, Israeli Arab working for CNN; no group claims responsibility; it is not clear who is behind Ali's kidnapping, or why kidnappers singled him Ali; Gaza has grown increasingly lawless and has had rash of kidnappings in recent months; most abductions have been related to internal Palestinian fighting, and most victims have been released unharmed after several hours; in West Bank, Jewish settler is arrested by Israeli police after fatally shooting Palestinian taxi driver near Nablus; in Jerusalem, Israeli authorities announce arrest of five border policemen accused of abusing Palestinian men in incident this month (M)
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