ABSTRACT
The networks today argue that the equivalent of documentaries, under such different titles as "instant specials" or "long-form programming", has taken up the information slack. When documentaries are undertaken, they have a long lead time, with designated executives and staff assigned to them. Investigative journalism was the rage in 1976. It had helped drive Nixon from the White House and was in hot pursuit of other triumphs. But television networks and stations were still far behind newspapers and magazines in the race, so they began to recruit new talent. Editorial decision makers always face a dilemma when an investigative reporter asks for the time and resources to pursue a will-o'-the-wisp lead. The Westmoreland interview was his biggest challenge. It was also the core of the program that Crile was reporting, writing, editing and in which he was appearing as a secondary on-air interviewer.
