Consider this an actionable item diary for all of you. I think the tone in the media has changed sufficiently over the past few months that now is the time to push to get stories out there.
One story inparticular is already done but has never been aired. 60 Minutes has it ready to go, they’ve just never aired it. Now is the time to contact them and request they show this important story. Here is the contact information:
EMAIL: 60m@cbsnews.com
PHONE: (212) 975-3247
More detail on the story that never aired below…
Here is the link to the article written by Michael Isikoff for Newsweek, September 22, 2004 about the CBS decision to bump the Niger story with the TANG documents story. There are some very interesting points in the article:
Some excerpts from the article include:
Although acknowledging that it was “frustrating” to have his story bounced, David Gelber, the lead CBS producer on the Niger piece, said he has been told the segment will still air some time soon, perhaps as early as next week. “Obviously, everybody at CBS is holding their breath these days. I’m assuming the story is going to run until I’m told differently.”
I think enough time has passed that CBS shouldn’t be “embarrassed” anymore about the TANG forgery fiasco and get back to reporting news now that 64% of Americans actually may want to hear it!
There is also another article by Mary Jacoby dated September 29, 2004 that talks about some of the details contained in the CBS story that never aired, and shows why this story is even more imprtant NOW than ever.
The Cowardly Broadcasting System
Here is the clip from the article that shows how it ties to the current Grand Jury investigation and why airing the story is so important, not only for the public, but for CBS regaining its credibility:
Bradley interviews Wilson, who says that he found nothing in Niger to indicate that any purchase agreement had been signed or executed. Bradley then speaks with the former director of the Department of State’s intelligence bureau (intelligence and research), Greg Thielmann, who explains why he concluded that Iraq was not attempting to reconstitute its nuclear program. In March 2002, Bradley reported, the White House received Thielmann’s report, entitled “Niger: Sale of Uranium Is Unlikely.”
So, please, contact CBS and get them to air this ASAP. I suspect they just might… Hey, if CNN is finally growing some, maybe CBS can too!