Emotional Rather blasts 'new journalism order'

[SillyGoose]

By Paul J. Gough
Mon Sep 19,11:11 PM ET



NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather said Monday that there is a climate of fear running through newsrooms stronger than he has ever seen in his more than four-decade career.

Addressing the Fordham University School of Law in Manhattan, occasionally forcing back tears, he said that in the intervening years, politicians "of every persuasion" had gotten better at applying pressure on the conglomerates that own the broadcast networks. He called it a "new journalism order."

He said this pressure -- along with the "dumbed-down, tarted-up" coverage, the advent of 24-hour cable competition and the chase for ratings and demographics -- has taken its toll on the news business. "All of this creates a bigger atmosphere of fear in newsrooms," Rather said.

(more at link) http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050920/tv_nm/television_rather_dc_1

********

Very interesting comments by Dan Rather about the sorry state of the media today.

[Eurobabe]

1. Just in time for Good Night, Good Luck

I can't wait to see that movie!!

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1808702700

[SillyGoose]

4. That looks like a great movie...can't wait to see it either! n/t

[atommom]

2. I wish there were more people willing to speak up about this.

It's a dangerous situation for all of us.

[SillyGoose]

8. I wish they would speak out, too. Lack of an objective media in

this country is one of our biggest problems to overcome. Well, that and election reform. Without those 2 items, we are so screwed.

[electropop]

14. Thank you Dan!

I've been a fan since the 60's. You have always had guts. Maybe you could put your fame to good use, say by joining the alternative media (the folks who put out things like Democracy Now and Air America). You could give a big boost to purveyors of truth.

[JuniperLea]

15. Great idea!

[0007]

28. Love to see it happen

[sasha031]

3. I miss him

He had such warmth nad I really believe he cared. it was a disgrace CBS didn't back him.

[calimary]

24. So do I.

Welcome to DU!

Glad you're here.

We need you!

Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!!!!!
Then go DO something to make it happen.

[blm]

5. I wish he'd say it - The GOP machine controls the corporate media.

Rather couches it as "politicians had gotten better at applying pressure" but we all know he really means the GOP has near total control of the corporate media.

[leQ]

7. i think he was, only picking his words carefully (eom)

[blm]

11. I know...certain folks have been GOP targets for decades, and it always

makes for a more difficult interview for them. Rather is one of those targets.

[psychopomp]

16. No, he said politicians "of every persuasion"

I believe that he meant that it is not just GOP politicians but, basically, 'politicians,' who are "applying pressure."

Mr. Rather intentionally stressed that point. If there is to be a house-cleaning, let's not limit it just to the corrupt GOP politicians.

[Lasher]

21. How many Democrats tried to silence Clinton's media critics?

Not many, judging from endless coverage the witch hunt got in the news.

[psychopomp]

31. Good point

So, what do you think he meant by adding "of every persuasion?"

[Lasher]

32. I think he's trying to straddle the fence

He might have gotten a few complaints from Democrats. He certainly should have when, for example, the press gave Dubya a pass and persecuted Gore during the 2000 election. But it's pretty clear that almost all media control has been exerted by GOP media conglomerate owners, Karl Rove's propaganda ministry, and the Repuplican noise machine in general.

He knows that's where the pressure is coming from. Democrats have never done anything like that. All things considered, I certainly wouldn't be trying to straddle the fence now, If I were he.

[blm]

25. Please name 1 Democrat who controls ANY news channel or broadcast media.

.

[psychopomp]

29. Your inference is well taken

So, he probably meant "politicians (R)" of every persuasion from congresspeople to Presidents?

[RandomKoolzip]

26. Oh yeah....AEI, Cato, Heritage, et al. have NO lock on the media's

access to opinion. :sarcasm:

Go out and buy "The Republican Noise Machine" by David Brock to get yourself up to speed on this issue.

[psychopomp]

30. I think you can assume that I am aware of right-wing media tactics

Now, back to what Mr. Rather said....what does "of every persuasion" mean to you?

[Lasher]

6. Conglomerates should not be allowed...

to own broadcast networks!

[SillyGoose]

9. Something like 5 corporations control the media now...

really disturbing that its gotten to this point where journalists are muzzled and can't report stories objectively or even at all.

[GOPAgainstGW]

17. That is Why We Have the Independent Internet n/t

[indigo32]

19. for how long?

we need to make sure it stays that way.

[GOPAgainstGW]

22. Yelp a lot of Big Corp ISP Consolidation in U.S. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

13. I agree,

all conglomerates should be divested of their broadcast networks, this would be a good base for media reform. They have abused their power and committed treason against the American People.

[Judi Lynn]

33. Great idea. We definitely need a clean sweep, & new start.

They have conspired to keep the truth from the public, and the truth is actually the only resource they've got which the public needs.

They have stripped us of our right to be aware of what the people we support financially are doing on our behalf. They have decided we don't matter.

[marions ghost]

10. an atmosphere of fear in newsrooms...

yes, we receivers of 'the news' can see that... and so will we all be victims

keep talking about it Dan

[Lasher]

12. What if Rather gets a TV talk show?

You know, like one of those Sunday morning things? Wow, that would be great, because just about everything out there now comes from Karl Rove's propaganda ministry.

[goclark]

18. I bet he could truly spill the beans

if he wasn't afraid of nver seeing his family again.

He was a journalist.

[gratuitous]

20. Way to speak out, Dan

At a conference at a university law school. Gosh, if only you had a slightly more, you know, visible platform from which to say things. You know, one where you could reach thousands, maybe even millions of people all at once. I remember Edward R. Murrow (He was at CBS, too, wasn't he?) and his program "Harvest of Shame" and Walter Cronkite finally turning against the Vietnam War and solidifying public sentiment against a wasteful and futile imperial gambit.

But of course, they were journalists who had the power of a major network behind them. I guess you'll have to struggle on as best you can with meager resources. A couple of hundred folks at a conference here, a couple hundred more at some symposium there. Good luck.

Yeah, fear's a powerful weapon.

[jus_the_facts]

23. "...like a big wheel through a cotton field." .....and other Rather'isms..

"If you try to read the tea leaves before the cup is done you can get yourself burned."

"To use a metaphor, he's gotta draw to an inside straight. But hey, sometimes you get lucky and hit that straight."

Is it like a swan, with every feather above the water settled, but under the water paddling like crazy?"

"You can almost hear the GOP (deep breathing sound). We're getting within maybe smelling distance."

"We don't know what to do. We don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon."

On how the results are affecting strategists: "It's one reason so many of them drink a lot."

"Could be game set and match Republicans."
"They're about first and goal from 4 yards out."

"Tight as the pages in a book."


"Crackling like a hickory fire."

"Two hands worth of white knuckle still hanging ten."

"Reminds you of that old Will Rogers line, it takes a lot of money just to get beaten."

"It's beginning to get exciting as the Democrats' fingernails are starting to sweat"

"Turn the lights down, the party just got wilder."

"He swept through the South like a tornado through a trailer park."

"Don't bet the trailer money yet."

"When the going gets weird, anchor men punt."

[donkeyotay]

27. Would the new order include the bizarre change in coverage

of Katrina's death toll? One day the media was covering corpses floating in the water and speculating whether the dead would be in the thousands or the tens of thousands and the next day it's nonstop coverage of clean-up. Will we ever get the truth about how many people died or would it be too inconvenient for George's lack-of accountability streak?