Both the critics and the defenders of TV news frequently ignore the wide differences in coverage between networks—or even within a network. Two documentaries about Cuba—made last year, when some people in this country were trying to kindle a romance with Fidel Castro—give us a rare chance for an in-depth comparison. CBS Network News produced Castro, Cuba, and the U.S.A. with Dan Rather, while CBS-owned WCBS-TV (Channel 2, New York) presented Eye on Cuba with Jim Jensen. And for further enlightenment, the two programs could also be compared with reports of other newsmen who were in Havana at the same time.
The results, taken issue by issue, are startling. The Cuba portrayed by CBS Network News was very different from the Cuba portrayed by the others.
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