CBS News chief gives up pretense to fairness

Les Moonves, head of the CBS news division, confirmed what everyone long suspected — the broadcast media has chucked its commitment to objectivity and thrown in with the Democratic Party.
“Partisanship is very much a part of journalism now,” Moonves said when questioned about his attendance at a Hollywood fundraiser for President Barack Obama.
That statement would have turned the stomachs of most journalists a generation ago, when the media was still comitted to even-handedly playing its watchdog role. It would also have got Moonves fired. But the reality is so obvious today, the comment has barely sparked a conversation in journalist circles about the appropriate role of the press.
When a major mainstream news source such as CBS acknowledges partisanship as part of its mission, how can the public trust its reporting? If the networks that invented television news are now working hand in glove with a political party, who’s got the people’s back?
Certainly, the advent of cable television news channels has changed the world of broadcast journalism. But Fox News and MSNBC barely bother to conceal their partisan bias.
But there was still the pretense to straight-up reporting by the three, traditional broadcast networks. Until now.
Moonves, after lauding Obama’s leadership, tried to mitigate his comments, and his appearance at the fundraiser, by saying he draws the line at making political donations.
Tickets to the event ranged fro $1,500 to $25,000, so given that assurance, Moonves presumably was comped.