CBS News isn’t the only one to pay for its much-publicized lapse in judgment – the credibility of every news organization in the country has been undermined by the network’s mistake.

CBS News admitted Monday it erred in broadcasting the contents of documents that cast doubt on President George W. Bush’s Vietnam-era National Guard service without proof that the documents were authentic. Later, anchor Dan Rather personally apologized for reporting the story.

However, as rumors of Rather’s impending resignation swirl in Internet blogs, the judgmental public shouldn’t be so quick to point the finger solely at Rather. What happened is not the result of one person’s actions, and it is unfair to place the blame on Rather simply because he is the most prominent figure at CBS News.

At the Northern Star, stories are read multiple times by multiple editors before they make it to print. The same is true at CBS News. More than one producer and editor had access to the questionable documents – and not one took effective steps to keep the information off the air.

The bottom line is that the news organization as a whole is responsible when a mistake is made. And while CBS has made concessions and said it “deeply regrets” taking the actions it did, the network is still eager to cast blame anywhere but on itself. The statement made Monday said CBS was “deliberately misled” – duped by Bill Burkett, a retired officer in the Texas Air National Guard and the source of the documents in question.

While it’s easier to admit you’ve made a mistake if you can point the finger at someone else as the cause, shifting the blame does little to repair CBS News’ credibility. Perhaps the network should focus on regaining viewers’ trust instead of harping so heavily on how the mistake was made. After all, it happened and can’t be undone. But credibility, over time, can be restored.

It’s unfortunate CBS made an error and must pay for it, but it’s more unfortunate that even reputable news organizations now have to work to demonstrate their own credibility as a result.

The last thing the public needs is another reason not to trust the media.