La Shawn Barber has a
roundup
of comments on Josh Howard's trying to get CBS to 'retract Mr.
Moonves' remarks, correct its official story line and ultimately
clear his name', and asks for opinions.
Well, if Howard thinks he wasn't treated fairly and that he wants
his reputation restored, on what is there to opine? It's a fight
between him and CBS, and I don't have a dog in that fight. Neither
do bloggers.
Howard isn't going to take some stand above the fray, on his own,
though. He's interested in restoring his reputation, and that set
isn't a 100% overlap with a full, 'real', investigation of
Rathergate / Memogate / whatever. Decisions Howard made about the
investigation, or decisions about the
60 Minutes II segment,
might have no relevance to Mary Mapes' relationship to the Kerry
campaign, for example, or relevance to how Bill Burkett acquired
the papers.
I'll repeat my
suggestion
from earlier today: Howard should start blogging on his
involvement and his efforts to move CBS. So far, his tactic is to
hire lawyers, but that won't produce anything for quite some time.
His lawyers will press CBS, but their strength would be multiplied
by Howard blogging. (Yes, I understand that there's likely to be
restrictions on what he can put on the 'net, and I understand that
his lawyers will likely advise him not to publish some stuff. But
lawyers want discovery of the other side's documents, for example,
and ofetn have to rely on court orders to enforce discovery
demands. Blogs' pressure would telescope the time before CBS
produces the material.)
But the blogs have shown how great pressure can be applied on
institutions, whether it's the White House press office, CNN, the
Senate Majority leader, etc.
How quickly does Howard want a resolution? Wouldn't the irony be
truly delicious if Howard turns the blogs again on CBS? Old Media
would have an example of cooperative action between it and the
blogs, not hindrance, though it would be undermining and in
opposition. Howard's goals and blogs' goals do overlap, and Howard
can ally himself with the blogs for added pressure, and the blogs
with Howard to achieve goals Howard wouldn't push hard or at all
for.