In 2004, CBS News apologized and hired an independent panel to do an investigation after Dan Rather aired a bogus “October Surprise”-type story on President George W. Bush that was based on fake documents. The network was quick to recognize the potential damage that false reporting about a presidential candidate could do during an election, with the network firing the producer and Rather voluntarily leaving the network.
But while producing deceptively manipulated stories about political candidates to interfere in an election was once considered career suicide, it is now standard editorial practice — if the propaganda press’ candidate of choice stands to benefit.
On Sunday, CBS News aired a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris stumbling through an answer to Bill Whitaker about why some foreign leaders disregard the Biden-Harris administration.
“We supply Israel with billions of dollars in military aid and yet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be charting his own course,” Whitaker said. “The Biden-Harris administration has pressed him to agree to a ceasefire; he’s resisted. You urged him not to go into Lebanon; he went in anyway. He has promised to make Iran pay for the missile attack, and that has the potential of expanding the war. Does the U.S. have no sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu?”
It was one of the more difficult questions Harris has had to face over the past several weeks, answering for why her administration is seen as weak and ineffective on the world stage. When Whitaker doubled down on his
