The Accuser, The N-Word, And A Very Good Good News Story
A few observations about last night's "60 Minutes":
Video: CBS News made the decision last week not to identify the Duke accuser. So you can imagine my surprise when her name – and picture – made an appearance in last night's lead story. Linda Mason, who explained the initial decision not to reveal the woman's identity, is out this week, and is thus unavailable for comment on the decision to now do so.
The second story last night was a repackaging of an Imus profile from a decade ago, one that again became relevant this week. What was notable here was the decision by the show to use the N-word in a discussion of the host's purported racism. The word also appears in the Web version of the story. We discussed CBS News' policy on airing offensive words here.
Finally, the least sexy story last night was, for me, the most interesting: Bob Simon's piece on the rigorous liberal arts education being offered to serious criminals by Bard College. It was a good news story that remained compelling from start to finish, and if you missed it I strongly suggest you check it out. You can do so by clicking on the video box.