Public Eye
May 11, 2007 12:50 PM

CBS News Asks Batiste To Step Down As Consultant

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
CBS News Issues
(CBS/EARLY SHOW)
Last night, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann." Batiste has been a CBS News consultant, but last night it was disclosed that he has been asked to leave that position due to his participation in an ad criticizing President Bush. Says Batiste in the ad: "Mr. President, you have placed our nation in peril." You can watch the "Countdown" segment here.

CBS News Vice President, Standards and Special Projects Linda Mason confirmed to me that Batiste was asked to vacate his position.

"When we hire someone as a consultant, we want them to share their expertise with our viewers," she said. "By putting himself front and center in an anti-Bush ad, the viewer might have the feeling everything he says is anti-Bush. And that doesn't seem like an analytical approach to the issues we want to discuss."

She said that Batiste's appearance in the ad marked a violation of CBS News standards, in which "we ask that people not be involved in advocacy."

Added Mason: "We might still go to the general to ask about things, but not as a consultant to CBS News."

UPDATE: Mason contacted me this afternoon to expand on her comments.

"General Batiste took part in a commercial that's being shown on television to raise money for veterans against the war," she said. "It isn't just that he took an advocacy position." She also said that the decision would have been the same had Batiste appeared in a similar ad in support of the president.

Add a Comment See all 46 Comments
by NaturalCatFood February 18, 2011 2:27 PM EST
Jean Baptiste looks like he should listen to some <a href="http://grmmusic.com">reggae gospel music</a> for a while just to chill him out.
Reply to this comment
by joycewest May 14, 2007 11:02 AM EDT
Batiste's firing highlights for me the many problems with news organizations hiring experts to supplement news coverage. Are viewers to believe that the expert will function like a traditional journalist, offering analysis without conveying a point of view, taking part in public debate, or advocating for a cause? One can imagine Batiste reasoning, What good is all this expertise and analysis if it can't be put to use, advocating for the cause into which I've put so much thought?
Analysis by its nature expresses a point of view. And it should be obvious to most viewers that hired experts have a point of view. They write books, they make speeches, and if they feel as strongly as Batiste, they will advocate. Meanwhile, their exposure on network news has given them a prominent platform for their work.
I'm not criticizing Batiste for expressing an opinion or raising money for a cause. I just don't see why network news should pay a consultant for analysis when reporters can interview several experts of varying opinions -- not paid for by the network -- and offer viewers more thorough coverage.
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by torocaca May 14, 2007 8:12 AM EDT
More crazy liberals who cannot spell. I only paid $3.59 a gallon today for regular gas. $4 is just crazy talk. ...his low interest rate rate ideology.&quot; Posted by mdog666 at 02:11 AM : May 13, 2007
**********

Crazy liberal who can't spell? Do you always resort to childish name-calling when you don't agree with someone? Is that your idea of a &quot;civil discussion?&quot; Is it a family trait? Is it also a family trait to criticize someone's spelling when your own grammar isn't so perfect? LOL!!! If you're going to be the &quot;grammar police&quot; then you had better be perfect.

$4/gal gas is here, genius. (Are you that naive?) Maybe not in your area but it is in mine and coming to your area by summer. By your calculations it will be 5/gal by next year.

Bush has nothing to do with the $ value falling? Bush's war has everything to do the increased cost of consumables and the cost of travel.

It's Greenspans fault? Leave it to a genius rightie to blame someone else. LOL?? What's your source for Greenspan being a &quot;liberal?&quot; He has never said what he is. He was chosen by Reagan and served both Bushes and Clinton. Three Rep POTUSs think he did a good job. But you don't, and you are the genius so that makes you right. LOL!!

Impending recession? Considering the toll the war has taken, the recession is long overdue. Recession #2 for Bush. But, again, you're the genius.

OBTW, what's the &quot;666&quot; for? LOL!!!
Reply to this comment
by down-ndirty May 14, 2007 4:19 AM EDT
More crazy liberals who cannot spell. I only paid $3.59 a gallon today for regular gas. $4 is just crazy talk. ...his low interest rate rate ideology.&quot; Posted by mdog666 at 02:11 AM : May 13, 2007
**********

Crazy liberal who can't spell? (I'm not a liberal.) Do you always resort to childish name-calling when you don't agree with someone? Is that your idea of a &quot;civil discussion?&quot; Is it a family trait? Is it also a family trait to criticize someone's spelling when your own grammar isn't so perfect? LOL!!! If you're going to be the &quot;grammar police&quot; then you had better be perfect.

$4/gal gas is here, genius. (Are you that naive?) Maybe not in your area but it is in mine and coming to your area by summer. By your calculations it will be 5/gal by next year.

Bush has nothing to do with the $ value falling? Bush's war has everything to do the increased cost of consumables and the cost of travel.

It's Greenspans fault? Leave it to a genius rightie to blame someone else. LOL?? What's your source for Greenspan being a &quot;liberal?&quot; He has never said what he is. He was chosen by Reagan and served both Bushes and Clinton. Three righties think he did a good job. But you don't, and you are the genius so that makes you right. LOL!!

Impending recession? Considering the toll the war has taken, the recession is long overdue. Recession #2 for Bush. But, again, you're the genius.

OBTW, what's the &quot;666&quot; for? LOL!!!

Reply to this comment
by down-ndirty May 14, 2007 2:52 AM EDT
&quot;More crazy liberals who cannot spell. I only paid $3.59 a gallon today for regular gas. $4 is just crazy talk.&quot; Posted by mdog666 at 02:11 AM : May 13, 2007
-------

...crazy liberals? Do you always resort to childish name-calling when you disagree with someone? Is that a family trait?

$4/gal is crazy talk? LOL!! What you pay for gas is not what everyone else is paying. Are you that naive? I already see $4/gal in my area, and it will be coming to your area soon. Based on your math, genius, maybe sooner. A barrel of oil has doubled in the last six years, and rising fast.

Greenspan a liberal? You know for sure? What's your source? Greenspan was selected by Reagan; also served Bush41, Clinton, and Bush43. Again, what's your source?

An impending recession? A second one for Bush? After he lowered taxes and started a war? What a genius!! Yeah. Greenspan is gone; blame it on him. Righties always think it's the other guy's fault.

OBTW, If you choose to be the grammar police and critique my spelling error, perhaps you should double-check your own grammar before you post your comments. LOL!!
Reply to this comment
by down-ndirty May 13, 2007 10:39 PM EDT
&quot;More crazy liberals who cannot spell. I only paid $3.59 a gallon today for regular gas. $4 is just crazy talk.&quot; Posted by mdog666 at 02:11 AM : May 13, 2007

Crazy talk? Really? Do you always resort to childish name-calling when you don't agree with someone? Is that a family trait? Like not paying attention?

If you had been paying attention you would know that $4/Gallon gas is here, whether you believe it or not. Maybe it's not in your neighborhood but it's in my neighborhood and it will be in your neighborhood, if not by summer, then by the end of the year. Unless of course, a miracle happens, like all the oil well in Iraq suddenly start pumping.

A barrel of oil was $30 in 2001; dropped down to 20 (very briefly) in 2001; and is now over $60.

You say &quot;...Bush...has increased the price of gas 50 cents a gallon per year for each year they have been in power. So you won't see $4 a gallon till next year.&quot; Do the math, genius. Your math makes it a $4/gal &quot;increase&quot; by 2009. LOL!! That looks like over $5/gal in the next 18 months.

Greenspan a liberal? Not likely, plus he's never said what party he's in. Don't know much about Greenspan, do you? Appointed by Reagan; again by Bush41; then Clinton; then Bush43. Now who do you blame? His most successful years were with Clinton.

Is there significance to the &quot;666?&quot; LOL!!
Reply to this comment
by mdog666 May 13, 2007 5:11 AM EDT
&quot;How do you likek $4/gallon gas? It doesn't bother the wealthy; they can afford it. In fact, they gain more wealth from it. Look at Exxon-Mobile. LOL!!!

We are a nation of sheep. Stupid sheep!&quot;

More crazy liberals who cannot spell. I only paid $3.59 a gallon today for regular gas. $4 is just crazy talk. The Bush Administration has only increased the price of gas 50 cents a gallon per year for each year they have been in power. So you won't see $4 a gallon till next year.

And really, if you consider the rise in the price of gold and foreign currencies, gas prices really are not that high. Bush Administration policies have nothing to do with the dollar's value falling 40% since he became president.

It's all the fault of liberal Alan Greenspan, who is now going around spreading fear about an impending recession, because of his low interest rate rate ideology.
Reply to this comment
by down-ndirty May 12, 2007 4:33 PM EDT
&quot;This is complete hypocrisy. It seems the &quot;liberal media&quot; only wants one side of the story on the public airwaves. No wonder no one watches crappy network news anymore. We know propaganda when we see it.&quot; Posted by litzz11 at 05:25 PM : May 11, 2007
---------------------------

What's wrong with this comment? The &quot;liberal media?&quot; The &quot;liberal media&quot; fired a person criticising a &quot;conservative&quot; war?

This is EXACTLY what's wrong in the U.S. Most people have no clue what's going on.

The &quot;liberal media&quot; as you call it, has been EXTREMELY kind to a conservative president who took this country to war for the sole purpose of protecting the possessions and positions of the wealthly in this country.

How do you likek $4/gallon gas? It doesn't bother the wealthy; they can afford it. In fact, they gain more wealth from it. Look at Exxon-Mobile. LOL!!!

We are a nation of sheep. Stupid sheep!

Boycott CBS!!!



Reply to this comment
by torocaca May 12, 2007 4:18 PM EDT
&quot;Looks like the cat is out of the bag...Keith Olbermann is poison, but the looney left keeps drinking it.&quot;
Posted by One_American at 02:18 PM : May 11, 2007
--------------

I guess I'd rather be a &quot;looney left&quot; than a &quot;lemming right.&quot; LOL!!!

Olbermann gets it right far more often than the &quot;fair and balanced&quot; FOX network.
Reply to this comment
by bigbearvo May 12, 2007 3:12 PM EDT
The producers and execs at CBS news who approved the continued &quot;consultant&quot; status of General Batiste knew full well his strong opinions, and if fact had hired him to specifically to express those opinions. His appearance in the VoteVets ad only increases his credibility in that he has demonstrating an extreme level of courage in speaking out against the incompetent and criminal acts of his government. CBS has revealed its hypocrisy in firing him, and its sadly deteriorating status as a truly independent news organization willing to speak truth to power. CBS has violated the spirit of free speech, which is, of course, one of the founding pillars of a free press in a free society, by punishing General Batiste for exercising his rights as an American, rights he fought hard for as a dedicated member of our Armed Forces. You have fallen far CBS, and your news division has lost far more credibility in this one act than General Batiste ever will.

You have a responsibility, CBS. Live up to it. Americans are watching, and when they've had enough, they will find the truth elsewhere.
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