CBS News: Challenging the Authenticity of a News Source

Just weeks before the tightly contested 2004 presidential election, the CBS television network aired a feature story alleging that President George W. Bush received preferential treatment while in service to the Texas Air National Guard. At the center of the story are photocopies of memos supporting the allegations. Almost immediately following the broadcast, bloggers and news sites begin to question the authenticity of these memos. The maelstrom that ensues questions CBS’ and Dan Rather’s motives, and both the credibility and the role of broadcast media in the internet age.