• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 15, 2011

 In its latest promo, CBS News says it does "original reporting" -- and then some.

"Original reporting" probably isn't the perfect snappy phrase to pull in viewers, but does give viewers a framework compared to what they can see elsewhere -- on the Internet; on opinion-centric cable news channels such as Fox News and MSNBC; and on others like CNN, HLH or Current TV. There's different kind of news content on network TV, CBS in particular.

During a recent TV Critics Association session, anchor Scott Pelley told critics CBS News is working hard and that ratings are higher (though still behind ABC and NBC) because of that hard work.

Pelley -- as well as CBS News executives -- also offered the obvious: The network's long historic association with good journalism still has high awareness among network viewers. But it's tough to market "history." Better to talk "original reporting."

The CBS News promo goes further -- perhaps too far -- saying the network "invented" original TV reporting.

Here is the voiceover from the end of CBS' TV spot: "It's what we do at CBS News every Sunday, and every day of the week. But hey, it's not like we invented original reporting on television. [Cut to a black-and-white image of an old "60 Minutes" set] Oh wait; yes we did."

Hmmm... probably not. NBC News, for one, might have an issue with that, circa 1940 and possibly 1947, though the "60 Minutes" news magazine format could be a consideration. Surely, CBS was a strong force in radio, and then TV network news, at least 70 years ago.

Here's the first part of the promo: "What is original reporting? It's finding your own facts, seeing them first hand, telling the story no one else will - or can." Okay this is key. It could be a rallying call for all broadcast network news shows -- or original journalists.

Considering all the complaints about Internet news - bloggers who neither check stories nor make phone calls to appropriate parties for comments -- CBS is making a case. It almost seems to want to label its shows with an "original reporting" tag versus "commentary" or "opinion."

Then U.S. news consumers will know what they have. Did CBS News really "invent" original reporting? At best, that's a stretch. But if CBS News is really that good, it won't matter. Viewers will come, and so will advertising dollars.