CBS CORRESPONDENT KILLED STORY AT PENTAGON'S REQUEST

CBS ^

[Cat loving Texan]

CBS Pentagon correspondent David Martin acknowledged Monday that he killed a report about how the U.S. was dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq after a senior military officer complained that it contained information useful to the enemy. Martin, writing on the CBS blog Public Eye, said that the report had been scheduled to air as the lead story on the CBS Evening News on Thursday and that he pulled it just one hour before airtime. "Not a good career move," he wrote. Martin further acknowledged that he had set aside other stories at the request of the Pentagon "a number of times over the years, and each time it's turned out that going with the story wouldn't have caused any harm." In the latest case, he said, he concluded that his report "might conceivably be news the enemy could use to make their IEDs more effective. It wasn't clear cut, but it was close enough."

[Cat loving Texan]

This guy actually did the right thing. He will be pulverized by his peers and most likely won't make the same "mistake" again.

[YourAdHere]

The first three words sucked me in.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Well, so much for Martin ever having a career at the New York Times. They'd have run such a story in a heartbeat.

[nuffsenuff]

LOL!

[dirtboy]

"Not a good career move," he wrote.

Retire and write a book. I'll buy it just as a thanks for acting as an American first, being more concerned about soldier's safety than what your nutbar peers think of you.

[Sloth]

So why is he talking about it?

[Flavius Josephus]

Yeah me too. But this voluntary censorship crap has to end. The way it is now it doesn't seem to give the reporter any cover. Tell him he MAY NOT divulge the information under penalty of law. That's it.

[MikeA]

Good. For once CBS did the right thing. But as you say, the lapdog slimeball media which saw such national security damage in the leak of the identity of a Langley pencil pusher, Valerie Plame will see no problem with leaking information about US tactics in Iraq that could help our enemies there and get more US soldiers killed, just like they saw no problem leaking information about tapping of Al Qaeda phones and secret CIA prisons in Europe holding top Al Qaeda leaders.

[Calpernia]

LOL!! That is what caught my eye too.

[dynachrome]

"This guy actually did the right thing"
I am glad he did. Too bad his news career is now over.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

It's gotten to the point where I get amazed when a reporter does the right thing.

That says something in and of itself.

[Jonah Hex]

The key is, ask yourself: "Does this story put an American soldier at risk?"

If the answer is "Yes" or "Maybe", then kill or rewrite the story.

[weegee]

Of course, CBS still has to tell us that they had a story about it.

I watched PBS last night (rarely do but didn't care to watch local news robbery/car chase/warehouse fire reports). Frontline had a report on The Insurgency in Iraq. Several of the reporters (from Time and others) were associating with Al Qaeda (by phone and in person). One even remarked as he watched some "insurgents" launching mortar attacks on Allied troops that civilians could plainly see that these men were engaging against the US but no one bothered to turn them in. The same could be said for the reporter.

It's also why I hold little regard for the civilians who get caught in the crossfire when troops return fire or raid an apartment. Hand over the (mostly foreign) terrorists and the war will end.

It's no wonder that the media opposes wiretapping phone calls with Al-Qaeda. They don't want to be convicted of treason in a time of war. When they embed with the enemy, they are in bed with the enemy.

[Rebelbase]

ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE ROVE/BUSH/CHENEY MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX KEEPING THE TRUTH FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

[TeleStraightShooter]

Not a good career move?

He's worried what people might say about him at cocktail parties?
If that is a true reflection of his industries sediments, it's wacked.

[trubluolyguy]

CBS Pentagon correspondent David Martin acknowledged Monday that he killed a report about how the U.S. was dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq after a senior military officer complained that it contained information useful to the enemy.

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If true, I applaud this reporter for putting his countrymen over the "public's right to know."

[RobbyS]

Can you imagine Ernie Pyle thinking twice about this?

[ferri]

ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE ROVE/BUSH/CHENEY MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX KEEPING THE TRUTH FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

oh yes! much better that the enemy knows what is going on so that US soldiers can die. our need to know is way more important. (i won't turn MY sarc off.)

[trubluolyguy]

secret CIA prisons in Europe holding top Al Qaeda leaders.

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My brother has a severe case of liberal....he actually brought this up to me in a recent debate over politics. He was stunned into silence when I said, "The CIA has secret overseas prisons for Al Quaeda? GOOD!"