Originally Posted By DlandDug <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-evening11oct11" target="_blank">http://www.latimes.com/enterta inment/news/la-et-evening11oct11</a>,1,1125929.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews Buried in this LA Times news story about the latest ratings woes at CBS News is this interesting aside: >>Some of the staff have privately expressed concerns about changes to the broadcast, particularly a segment called "Free Speech," a platform for opinions from around the country. Last week, executive producer Rome Hartman received strong protests from the newsroom after airing a commentary by Brian Rohrbough, the father of a student slain at Colorado's Columbine High School in 1999. In addressing recent school shootings in Colorado and Pennsylvania, Rohrbough said the public schools have taught students in a "moral vacuum" by emphasizing evolution and keeping religion out of the classroom. Critics complained the opinion piece was not relevant to the current tragedies, especially since the most recent shooting happened at an Amish school. Hartman, who said he was surprised by the topic Rohrbough chose to address, said he nevertheless didn't believe it would have been "in keeping with the spirit of the segment" to ask him to change the piece. The executive producer called the feedback from newsroom employees "a very healthy conversation."<< Seems some staffers at CBS still want to believe that "free speech" consists entirely of what they want to tell the public. I do appreciate the odd position in which Executive Producer Rome Hartman finds himself. It would, indeed, be difficult to order someone to change the content of a segment entitled "Free Speech," simply because the staff has been privately expressing concern. (P.S. To see the commentary in question, go here: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/02/freespeech/main2057062.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories /2006/10/02/freespeech/main2057062.shtml</a> )
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I like the 'Free Speech' segment on CBS Evening News. Although the comments cited in this story were a bit off the wall, overall the 'Free Speech' segment is good.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA comments -- meaning the man who talked about the murder in the Amish town.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I think the Free Speech segment is designed specifically to get people discussing the CBS Evening News again. I like the idea of this segment, especially since we're awash in news coverage all over anyway.
Originally Posted By jonvn "Seems some staffers at CBS still want to believe that "free speech" consists entirely of what they want to tell the public." Uh, yes. For them.
