ABSTRACT
Daily coverage of trials-whether civil or criminal-can be misleading to the public. This is another built-in shortcoming of everyday news media performance that the media have never solved-nor even given much attention. Reporters in court are chained to the shibboleth of objectivity, that impossible and much overvalued standard implying fairness. Westmoreland's case was stumbling on the witness stand and being trampled by Judge Leval's ruling on the Benjamin Report. The Westmoreland side would have to try to repair the damage with cross-examination of CBS's witnesses. Though the floundering Burt still remained in charge, most of that cross-examining counterattack would now be mounted by David Dorsen, the former federal prosecutor on the Westmoreland legal team. Westmoreland's witnesses had described him as a fanatic with a mad obsession. There was no doubt he had a passion. The Westmoreland's were increasingly disappointed and put off by his overbearing and rough off-stage manner.
