Posted on 09/21/2004 11:23:10 PM PDT by A Real Dan Fan... NOT
Within this blog are some of the most intelligent and insightful people I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I hope someday to count myself among you, but reality informs me that I am about as smart as a bag of rocks. I've been sitting here absorbing all of this crap about Rathergate, although it should be re-named Ratherleave since I get the impression this is what most people want. It was really getting Rather tiresome. Then I had an idea. I got curious as to how this could have come about. But first, permit me to give you a little background about myself.
I was born and have not died yet. That covers all of the high points.
Back to the matter at hand.
I was curious as to how someone with 40 years experience in journalism could have had such a stupid lapse in judgement. I mean, he fell for such an obvious play. I would love to play poker with this idiot. Or, perhaps not. Lets think about this for a little bit.
Dan Rather did not rise to the level of his field by being an idiot. Journalism is a very tough field. You have to be focused, intelligent and tenacious. Dan has the respect of many of the best in the business and you do not get that without proving yourself time and time again. Journalists are, by their very nature, very cynical. So what happened? I think it can be answered very simply and with one word. ETHICS. I think Dan's ethical focus became cloudy.
I know what you are probably thinking. BULL! He is nothing more than a LIBERAL! True. But there is more to it than just that. Remember, he has been considered among the best in a very opinionated field. You don't forget everything learned in a lifetime overnight. At least, not without a severe head injury being involved.
I think it started back in the 60's. Viet Nam was almost as divisive as the current Presidential race. Seriously, there was a lot of turmoil, both here and there. I think Viet Nam was as close as this country has ever come to another civil war. I think the civil unrest, the war and the pressure to find and report stories that reflected the views of the younger generation slowly changed his views on journalism. Young people are more idealistic. Us old farts know that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We have learned patience. Usually by being impatient.
Dan learned that he could shape events to the viewpoint of his target audience. Since his target was young, he would also be shaping events far into the future simply because those same young people would get old, but they would still be listening to him. I don't think it ever occured to him that WE would change.
You know what the biggest difference is between conservatives and liberals? Strip away all of the crap about issues and politics. The biggest difference is that conservatives want people to be responsible for helping themselves and liberals want to be responsible for helping people.
Back to the ethics thing.
I went to the Society of Professional Journalists website and printed a copy of the Code of Ethics. I was curious as to how many of the rules Dan had broken. I am only going to list the rules that I feel he has broken. Feel free to disagree if you want.
Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertant error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
I think he really screwed the pooch on this one.
Dilligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
Is 3 hours fair? I don't think so, but you be the judge.
Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources reliability.
OOOPS!
Always question sources' motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises.
I think this one was broken also. But I may be too picky.
Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
Busted.
Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
Gotcha there too.
Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
Gotcha!
Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
Another one broken.
Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
And another broken rule.
Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
Should he have told on himself and CBS? I think so.
Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.
I think we are in agreement about this one also.
Are you ready for the punch line?
I believe that Dan honestly feels that he has done nothing wrong.
WHAT!?! AM I NUTS OR SOMETHING? HE TRIED TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF A PRESIDNETIAL ELECTION!!! HE STILL REFUSES TO ADMIT THE MEMOS ARE FORGED!!! HE IS STILL STONEWALLING AND PASSING OFF THE BLAME ON MARY MAPES!! HOW COULD I THINK HE FEELS NO RESPONSIBILITY?
Feel better now with that off your chest? Take a deep breath and calm down.
Even though Dan has broken 11 of the rules of conduct, I think he feels that the end justifies the means. He is so afraid that Dubya will be reelected, he is willing to do anything to keep that from happening. In his mind, he has done nothing wrong.
For this reason and this reason alone, he should be retired as soon as possible. He should never sit in a news office again. He should never be allowed to influence public opinion via the national media.
Tell me what you think. Honest opinion is always welcome.
good post..and..WELCOME
I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. According to the mainstream media, I'm an ignorant knuckle-dragging slob who scratches himself in public and should probably be off'd before I breed.
All this 'cause I'm Conservative, vote Republican, and live in California. Who'da thunk it, hm?
I hope someday to count myself among you, but reality informs me that I am about as smart as a bag of rocks.
Seriously? Awesome! Me, I'm as dense as spent uranium! Put 'er there!
Here's another one for you. I saw a college professor who teaches journalism 101 - and she said if one of her students wanted to go on the air or write a story documents that were obviously made on a typewriter, that the son and wife of the dead alleged documents said he would never write, where the signatures didn't match up, where the source was an admitted foe of Bush, where he says he burned the original documents and now says he doesn't know Lucy Ramirez who he says gave them to him in an envelope -
she would fail him in a flat second.
Rather should be prosecuted and sent to prison - using obviously forged documents to influence the outcome of a presidential election.
Welcome to Free Republic :)
I think that is one of the few first post vanities I have seen around here that is worth reading. Welcome to Free Republic.
I can sum this you for you in short order. Dan Rathther went around the bend years ago. He is a biased politcal hack posing as as a"journalist".
He should have stuck to reporting the news, not making it.
I stumbled across it in 1998 from the Drudge Report and Worldnetdaily. I lurked for hours daily till I finally joined in 2002. This Rathergate scandal brings back memories of Lewinsky/Impeachment here at Free Republic.
Great first post. :)
Very good post. I'm not sure I agree with you about Dan...but I ain't sure I don't either.
Welcome to Free Republic.
Welcome!
he's an old man, over 70...he's lived in a bubble for most of his adult life and knows no one he cares about is gonna hold him responsible...they'll just say "well, you tried"....nothing to lose, last chance...the people that will vilify him don't matter, and he'll be dead before the truth matters. sad but true
"He's a Saul Alinsky liberal where their religion teaches the end does indeed justify the means."
Pardon me...
Saul was a pure and simple commie - straight up. Liberals, OTOH, are ill-informed nit-wits that watch the evening news with Dan Rather.
bump
Since you have correctly pointed out that Rather violated every ethic of journalism, he probably did it deliberately. He of all people knows the rules.
I have listened to his defenders of the same ilk. They gave me no feeling that they have gotten the message, only the usual spin we expect from them.
There are many out there that have got the right message. We will see what they do with it.
Welcome aboard!
Welcome, and I'm glad you haven't died yet. Enjoyable read!
Every time I want to have a little pity for him---I remember that he could have gotten away with this in another day,no one would've checked him, he could have pawned off false documents and spurious sources to harm a sitting President and bring him down. I don't know for sure whtether this would've been due to his ideology or his ego,but he could've knowingly affected the outcome of a national election and turned potential voters against a President using lies,either because he wanted a story too much or wanted to get rid of this President too much. And then I get angry all over again.
Yeah, it's hard to feel TOO sorry for Dan Rather. He's a mega-millionaire celebrity and will be retired in a year.
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