If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

On Monday, TV news anchor Dan Rather apologized on The CBS Evening News over the now- discredited memos relating to President Bush’s military service. The documents, which aired on the Sept. 8 edition of 60 Minutes II, alleged that Bush received preferential placement while serving in the Texas Air National Guard.

Since the broadcast, the documents have failed to stand up to intense scrutiny. While the signature in the memo matches that of the supervisor who supposedly authored the documents, the typeset and content of the memos are highly suspect. Furthermore, those who worked with the supervisor, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, have told reporters that he never would have written them. Finally, the source who leaked the documents to 60 Minutes II, a former employee of Killian’s, has admitted to misleading CBS producers about the origin of the memos.

Rather has publicly apologized, but the damage has already been done. In an age where corporate ownership and political bias have created greater distrust of the media, errors such as these only serve to erode what little credibility is left in the news business. Also, those who missed Monday’s retraction will remain misinformed about Bush’s military record.

If the media don’t bother to check out the validity of their sources before publishing the information, how can audiences trust the media?

After all, Dan Rather wasn’t born yesterday. As managing editor of CBS News, he should bear full responsibility for CBS’ mistake. What occurred was lazy and amateurish – and above all, it was bad journalism.

The pressures of the 24-hour news cycle might have played a role in CBS’ eagerness to air the memos without thorough verification, but the greater issue concerns the content of news coverage during this election year. Attacks on both the military records of President Bush and Sen. John Kerry have overshadowed important political issues and party platforms.

Enough is enough. Dan Rather and CBS are guilty of the same thing as almost every other media outlet. The candidates’ pasts are put before their ideas and platforms – information that voters need to make decisions in November. The media as a whole have been focusing on topics that are wholly unrelated to the real issues of this presidential election. These stories lack newsworthiness and substance.

As a result, the memo controversy should be a sign that it’s time to move on. The media should shift their focus to more significant coverage.