Bernard Shaw, who has announced that he is stepping down as a CNN anchor, has told the New York Times that he takes the blame for the cable news network announcing prematurely that George W. Bush had been elected president.

In an interview that appeared in the Sunday magazine section, Shaw said, "It was a mistake, and I really hated myself for making it." Shaw also said that while he also regrets the fact that his departure "creates a color void in network news anchordom," he believes that women may face an even harder time than minorities in the television news business. "Women are still subjected to a double standard," he said.

"The distraction of a woman journalist having to worry about her hair, her weight, her clothes -- as a male, I never have to be concerned about that, about the salt and pepper in my hair. How many gray-haired newswomen do you see on television? The double standard in this business is disgusting."

Source: Studio Briefing