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Albatross (a1batross) wrote,
@ 2008-07-23 16:44:00

CBS News Standards

Bloggers are complaining about the editing of Katie Couric's interview with Senator John McCain, during which the answer to a different question was edited into place make McCain look better, and an embarassing gaffe was omitted entirely.

However, these bloggers with complaints are referencing an out-of-date set of standards. Since I has mad investigative skillz, I have unearthed a copy of the current journalistic standards that CBS employs. It is clear upon reviewing these standards that CBS did nothing wrong whatsoever.

CBS EDITING STANDARDS
As CBS journalists, you represent the interest of Viacom, the corporation that owns your news bureau. You have two tasks: support the goals of the corporation, and present the truth in a manner that presents the corporation in the best light.

EDITING: When presenting opposing viewpoints, keep in mind which viewpoint best supports the goals of the corporation. Sometimes corporate spokespeople, such as Administration personnel or members of Congress, may have trouble clearly and succinctly expressing the corporation’s goals. If you hear an obvious error, offer the spokesperson the chance to correct their statement by re-filming the response.

However, you won’t always be able to catch errors in the field. That’s where editing comes in. As a journalistic editor, you can enhance the corporation’s message by clarifying those statements with your editing tools. Remove hesitations, pauses, and ‘um’s to make the message more succinct. If the answer to another question is clearer, rearrange the answer to support your spokesperson.

Contrariwise, you will frequently be forced to add “tension” and “controversy” to your interviews, in order to infotain your audience. You may find yourself interviewing persons whose interests are contrary to the corporation’s goals, such as environmentalists, Federal regulators, or Liberals. These people are very concerned that their messages be conveyed in full, and are very sensitive to editing; therefore, do not correct their statements, and do not edit their answers. If this means that you leave in footage of the subject picking their nose, or muttering obscenities and threats when they believe they are off camera, so be it.

It is as important to maintain the viewers’ interest as it is to convey the entire message that these subjects wish to convey. If a subject’s statements are boring, try adding a little whimsy by using post-production techniques to enhance the subject’s features. A boring interview can be salvaged by enlarging ears and noses, erasing lapel pins, or adding a “Yakkety Sax” soundtrack.

Remember, as a journalist, your job is to convey the truth from Viacom's point of view in an informative and entertaining fashion. Editing is your tool to help you maintain the high journalistic standards that Viacom and the Administration have come to expect.

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