Happy Birthday To Us!

(Virtual Stamp Club)

We've brought you debates on bias with producers and explored some of the reasons important foreign news doesn't always get the attention it deserves. We've hashed out controversial reports about the sinking of New Orleans and controversial public appearances by correspondents.

Public Eye has been a place for CBS Newsers to explain their remarks and apologize for mistakes. It's a place the audience can get answers and better explanations.

We've looked at the reasons why some stories are held and others are told in a slightly incomplete way. We've taken you behind the scenes for a day covering the White House and a day on The Hill.

We've all learned more about what it means to be a journalist in places like Iran and Russia and Iraq. Along the way, we've discussed issues about journalism in general – where it's at and where it's all headed. And we've even had a little fun along the way.

One year ago today I wrote about our hope to "bring transparency into the editorial process, help facilitate a dialogue with the audience, answer criticisms, proactively inform and delve into broader issues of journalism" and added:

As the media landscape has changed dramatically during the past decade, so too has media criticism. What was once largely the province of a few writing for a small audience of navel-gazing journalists has blossomed into an industry unto itself. In addition to the traditional antagonists (think "MSM" critics), there are now partisan media watchdogs on both the left and the right, backed and fueled by networks of blogs, talk radio and e-mail campaigns. Even the critics have critics.

In ways, this proliferation of media critique can be viewed as illuminating and even performing the service of keeping the Fourth Estate on its toes. But, all too often, it's confusing and ponderous. …

… We hope that Public Eye will help CBS News join and improve this big, new conversation about journalism in a way that is honest, open and even idealistic.