Newcomer Speaks; Dan Denies

Typography specialist Joseph M. Newcomer was among the first experts to pronounce the Ra^therGate memos forgeries. Just before CBS released the report of its independent Panel earlier this week, Corey Pein defended Dan Rather in a Columbia Journalism Review article. Pein implied Newcomer inflated his qualifications and buried allegedly contrary evidence. Pein's piece was almost universally panned.

Newcomer has now replied. Beyond rebutting Pein's "yellow journalism" regarding Newcomer's resume, Newcomer destroys Pein's logic line by line:

"Two days later, Newcomer -- who was "100 percent" certain that the memos were forged -- figured high in a Washington Post report"

Yes. Two days later I was 100% certain, and to this day I remain 100% certain, that these memos were forged documents, almost certainly produced in Microsoft Word, and using the default Times New Roman typeface. No one has come up with a better hypothesis (certainly not David Hailey, more about that later). A renowned type expert with impeccable credentials, who was retained by the Thornburgh panel, came to the identical conclusion.

(Newcomer's referring to Appendix 4 of the Panel report, as previously noted.)

At this juncture, the only remaining human who believes the memos is Dan Rather:

[G]ood can come from this process if CBS News, and the hundreds of able professionals who labor every day to fill an essential public service in an open society, emerge with a renewed dedication to journalism of the highest quality. We should take seriously the admonition of the report’s authors to do our job well and carefully, but also their parallel admonition not to be afraid to cover important and controversial issues.

Covering a story isn't the same as inventing one; reporting isn't synonymous with lying. A sad, perseverating end to Rather's journalistic career--scooped by every other newsman plus five billion others on planet Earth.

(via LGF)