We're Equal Opportunity "Bashers"

Is Public Eye a vehicle for CBS to take "potshots" at other networks? The answer, as anyone who's spent more than a few minutes looking at us could easily discern, is no. But that's what Scott Collins claims today in his Los Angeles Times blog, Channel Island. If anyone is taking potshots here, it's Collins. Or should I extrapolate in kind and just say it's the Los Angeles Times taking aim at CBS?

Collins points to recent post by Brian Montopoli, in which he wonders whether the "Dateline" series "To Catch A Predator" goes "too far" in crossing a line of investigative reporting, and makes it into an attack on all of NBC by all of CBS. Really, that's what he claims:

Among the legitimate points raised by Montopoli and others: Should NBC essentially be serving as a tipster service for the police? Is it ethical to use subterfuge and hidden cameras to capture what lawyers call an inchoate — that is, a presumably planned but never completed — crime?

But CBS' public lashing of the series raises some interesting questions of its own. This would seem a fairly significant breakdown in news division detente. Typically networks have refrained from publicly criticizing rivals' coverage, at least partly out of fear of what might happen when those rivals turn the tables (plus, as a practical matter, you're just giving the other guy publicity). But at some point - between, say, the time that Dan Rather's Bush piece on "60 Minutes" was savaged by bloggers and Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly declared war on each other — the newsroom rules of engagement changed. Now it's open season, and anyone can fire birdshot in someone else's face.

There are differences between ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times but they all have the same mission and practice their craft in similar ways. When, say, an issue comes up at The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times write about it. That's what modern news organizations do. In the olden days networks didn't do a lot of that because televison news time is precious; then the Internet was invented.

When an issue arises at CBS, we'll dive into that deeply, but it doesn't preclude us from looking at legitimate issues at any other news organization. And, as Collins admits, Brian was addressing "legitimate points."

CBS News was no more taking a potshot at NBC News through our post than the Los Angeles Times is taking one at CBS through Collins' post. But this is a good opportunity to, as Collins allows, reiterate our relationship with CBS News. Public Eye operates under the banner of CBS Digital Media. We are all a part of CBS Corp., but Public Eye answers to the president of Digital Media, not the president of CBS News. Nothing we write is seen by anyone in the news division before it is posted and they don't have any say over what we cover. Because we are part of the same company and because the folks at CBS News see a value in our mission, we do have greater access to the news division than most outside reporters would get. In many ways though, we are treated in much the same way Scott Collins would be treated. If someone at CBS News declines to talk with us (a rare occurrence), we have no power to make them.

This relationship is important to us and our independence. Public Eye has addressed many questions raised about what CBS News does and will continue to do so. It is the main purpose of our mission and I haven't heard anyone complaining that we're taking "potshots" at CBS News or declaring war of some sort on the network. Maybe I'd better start cleaning my shotgun though, just in case.