Tag Archives: Lara Logan

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Memo to Alec: Watch your foul mouth, young man

This has been a tough week for TV news personalities masquerading as broadcast journalists.

First, it was Lara Logan of CBS’s “60 Minutes” being forced to take “administrative leave” for a botched news segment on the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya; four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, died in the firefight. Logan and her producer trotted out a security analyst who told “60 Minutes” he was there when it happened, except that he really didn’t get there until the next day. His credibility came into question after the report that was highly critical of the State Department’s reaction to the tragic event.

See ya, Lara.

Now it’s MSNBC’s turn to wipe the egg off its face. It had hired actor/comedian Alec Baldwin to do an hour-long show every Friday night. Baldwin is known for a lot of things. Yes, he’s a talented actor. He’s also capable of doing some great comedy sketches.

Baldwin also is a loudmouth with a hair-trigger temper.

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=841043

Seems that that Baldwin got into an altercation with a photographer recently and spit out some highly inflammatory names to the fellow. He let loose with an anti-gay slur, preceded by an extremely vulgar adjective.

Hey Alec. You should know that the world is listening to every word you say. Dude, you’re a star and as such, you are not immune from prying eyes and ears. Two words need mentioning here, man: social media.

MSNBC has pulled Baldwin’s show. He says a leading gay-rights organization, GLAAD, and Andrew Sullivan, a noted columnist and author — who happens to be gay — had a hand in “killing” his show.

So what if they did?

He behaved reprehensibly and, as a symbol of a network devoted to news and commentary, he becomes one of the faces of the network.

Alec Baldwin had to go.

One final word of advice, although it will be ignored: Keep your mouth shut, Alec.

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Logan takes ‘leave’ from ’60 Minutes’

That ticking sound you hear at the start of “60 Minutes” each Sunday has taken on a new symbolic meaning.

I’m guessing it now might symbolize that time is running out on of the formerly premier news show’s correspondents, Lara Logan, who has been ordered to take an undetermined leave of absence.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/lara-logan-60-minutes-leave_n_4344883.html

Logan and her producer have earned this kick in the backside.

“60 Minutes” recently broadcast a segment that depended heavily on reports from someone who told the news agency that he was present at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012 when it came under attack from terrorists.

Well, it turned out that the source for the story, security officer Dylan Davies, told the FBI something quite different. He told the feds he didn’t arrive until after the shooting stopped.

The report had been highly critical of the State Department and the CIA response to the attack that killed four Americans, including Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya. “60 Minutes,” though, based its reporting on a source who, it turned out, was not credible. He wasn’t there. He didn’t see anything.

Logan went on the air later to offer what she called a “correction.” She apologized for the report.

Now it seems that CBS News has taken the next step in ordering Logan to take a break, along with her producer, Max McClellan.

I wouldn’t bet on Logan’s return to “60 Minutes.” These types of high-profile “leaves of absence” usually result in termination.

The network’s next big task is to repair the damage done to its reputation and to a news program once considered to be the gold standard for broadcast journalism.

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’60 Minutes’ in trouble … again

I once considered “60 Minutes” to be the Cadillac of TV news shows.

It might be becoming the Edsel.

Lara Logan, one of the CBS network’s correspondents for “60 Minutes” apologized this morning for a news report that cast a damning light on the Obama administration’s handling of the Benghazi, Libya terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2012 that left four people dead, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/53498378/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/

Seems that Logan’s sourcing was a bit questionable. The guy she attributed for much of the information, security contractor Dylan Davies, had given the FBI information that had contradicted what he told Logan’s staff in preparation for the broadcast.

Davies told Logan he was there during the attack; he told the FBI he didn’t get there until the next morning. So … did he see anything or didn’t he?

The attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi remains one of the more tragic episodes in U.S. diplomatic history. It was confusing, chaotic and fiery. That’s what happens in fire fights. Don’t they say often that “truth often is the first casualty” in these incidents?

This isn’t the first time “60 Minutes” has gotten its backside in a sling. In 2004, CBS correspondent Dan Rather broadcast a now-discredited report that alleged George W. Bush pulled too many strings to get himself signed up with an Air National Guard unit and then didn’t fulfill his obligation. Rather essentially lost his job over the shoddy reporting.

“60 Minutes” is scheduled to go on the air Sunday with a full apology and what’s known in the trade as “correction.” It likely won’t retract the story. The correction, though, is necessary if the news show seeks to return to its Cadillac status.