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CBS staffers blamed

WHAT HAPPENED: Four CBS News staffers were dismissed after an independent investigation said a "myopic zeal" led to the airing of a discredited story about President Bush's military service. CBS News president Andrew Heyward kept his job. The panel said he explicitly urged caution before the report aired.

DROPPING ANCHOR: Dan Rather was faulted for "errors of credulity and overenthusiasm." He is stepping down as anchor of the CBS Evening News in March, saying the timing had nothing to do with the investigation.

NO BIAS?: Investigators found that the report was not politically motivated.

THE FIRED FOUR

MARY MAPES: A Dallas-based 60 Minutes producer, Mapes had worked at CBS News since 1989. She was credited with landing the first TV interviews with Strom Thurmond's biracial daughter and Hillary Rodham Clinton after her husband's impeachment. She was the producer behind the story that showed the first photos of Iraqis being mistreated at Abu Ghraib.

JOSH HOWARD: Howard had worked at CBS News since 1981. He was a producer at 60 Minutes for 14 years and was Don Hewitt's top deputy for his highly regarded final season. Howard was appointed in June as executive producer of 60 Minutes Wednesday .

MARY MURPHY: A senior broadcast producer and Howard's top deputy, she had worked at CBS News for more than 17 years and was head of the political desk covering the 2004 presidential campaign.

BETSY WEST: As a senior vice president of CBS News, she was responsible for the content of all the network's prime-time broadcasts, including both 60 Minutes editions and 48 Hours Mystery . She joined CBS News in 1998 from ABC News, where she had been executive producer of Turning Point .

[Last modified January 11, 2005, 01:11:13]