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In a recent symposium, very well-attended, I might add, Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, and Tom Brokaw waxed poetic about their “long journey” with Network News. The symposium was moderated by Ken Auletta, and was intended to be an overview of how these three Titans of Broadcasting see the future of broadcast news, and for a look back at how things have changed..
Of course, some degree of attention was drawn to the “Memo Scandal”, even though all knew that Dan could not directly address the issue, due to an on-going investigation. He touched on the edges, and tried his best to explain how intimidation and fear has wormed its way further into the “News” Business. The other two clucked their agreement, and supported him, but it was hard to miss the fact that they both somehow “knew” that THEY would have never gotten into the same mess as “Ole Dan”..
The audience was very supportive of Dan, and applauded in “all the right places”. Auletta often remarked on the “Blue Room”, as they responded favorably toward things that the “Big Three” said.
What these three MISSED is the real newsmaker here. THEY shape public opinion.
They ALL agreed that “maybe they did not cast enough healthy suspicion “ about the build-up to the war, but to a man, they all readily excused their behavior as being “Patriotic Newsmen”, and giving the benefit of the doubt to the administration. This is the same administration that had shut them out, publicly derided them, and accused them of being “too Liberal” for White House inhabitants.
That they did not cast a skeptical look or two at the people who were pushing VERY hard for war, is something that they all apologized for, if tepidly. Jennings brought up the martial music, and the flag waving. Not ONE of them seemed to draw a connection to their “cozy” relationship with the very people about whom it’s their job to report to US. No one mentioned the fact that Dan & Rummy share ownership of a western ranch, or that Jennings & Brokaw are golfing buddies of members of the administration, as well.
Media “stars” have become blinded to the fact that THEY are our eyes and ears, and
We expect them to report what is happening. The untold story is often more dangerous than the one told.
When there was questioning by the audience, they asked the most probing questions, yet were answered in generalities. A woman asked why the media kept showing “a 30 second smear ad” over and over on NEWS programs, thus giving it undue attention. To a man, they agreed that “maybe, in retrospect, it was not such a good idea”, but Jennings and Brokaw were quick to add that they gave “extra” attention to Fahrenheit 9/11 too. What they missed was that the movie controversy WAS news. A major studio was bowing to political pressure….THAT was newsworthy. A Paid Political Smear Ad is just that.. IT was not news, yet EVERY news organization played it over and over and over.
All three seemed genuinely miffed that bloggers and internet people are getting more credibility, yet NOT ONE of them seemed to realize that it is the total frustration with the on-air coverage, that is driving the blogging phenomena.
The mostly uncovered Conventions were also discussed, and even though they admitted that there was no real news to cover there, they covered them as a public service, just as they cover the Inauguration. The story they missed about the inauguration WAS the story. The fact that people turned out in big numbers to protest, should have been the story. The fact that the “new president” was AFRAID to get out and walk among the people, was the story.
The major media has spent three years, and then some, missing the story.
They want it both ways. They want the war, because it creates loyalty and ratings, so they do not cover the anti-war sentiments. They accept embedded assignments to parrot the administration line, and then when the war literally blows up in their faces, they now want to “apologize” for beating the war drum.
The 1,050 plus families of the dead, and the many thousand more of the wounded, will not accept that apology, guys. Our “window on the world” is hopelessly coated with the scum of deceit, conceit and complicity.
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