At CBS' 60 Minutes, another Dan Rather-like problem may be emerging. A show Sunday that smeared Karl Rove with a very questionable "witness" is drawing fire here and elsewhere.
At another corner of CBS, top executives made a prudent decision in a matter I had a role. Top officials at the 48 Hours show told me yesterday they have decided to rewrite the script for its upcoming program to remove all references to a successful Paris, IL. businessman and entrepreneur who had been unfairly included in a past segment and was to be included Saturday before our intervention.
The show will take its third look at the 1986 murders of Dyke and Karen Rhodes in the east central Illinois town. This new episode will highlight the release recently of former defendant Herb Whitlock. My thoughts and participation in the case can be found here. The businessman hired me several years ago to counteract the smear job he was receiving by lawyers, the news media and other connected to the defense of Whitlock and Randy Steidl.
Most of the baseless rumors about the businessman have subsided after he passed a pair of polygraphs and answered all questions of authorities without a lawyer present. It was unfair that he even had to take these steps, but he was tired of hearing the malicious gossip.
The businessman reengaged my firm's services after hearing this week that his name was going to be mentioned in the upcoming 48 Hours show.
In this instance, the 48 Hours' execs were receptive to the arguments and facts we presented and quickly agreed that it would not be fair to include his name any longer in their show. We'll be watching Saturday but they gave us a unequivocal promise that the changes would be made to the script.
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