Posted on 01/12/2005 11:14:24 PM PST by quidnunc
The Rathergate Report is a watershed event in American journalism not because it changes things on its own but because it makes unavoidably clear a change that has already occurred. And that is that the mainstream media's monopoly on information is over. That is, the monopoly enjoyed by three big networks, a half dozen big newspapers and a handful of weekly magazines from roughly 1950 to 2000 is done and gone, and something else is taking its place. That would be a media cacophony. But a cacophony in which the truth has a greater chance of making itself clearly heard.
Is it annoying that the panel that issued the report did not find liberal bias in the preparation and airing of the Bush National Guard story? Yes, but only that. It's not as if anyone has to be told. I hate to be cynical, and this is cynical, but the panel that produced the report was not being paid by CBS to find liberal bias. It was being paid to do the anatomy of a failure with emphasis on who did what wrong.
It found fault with the anchorman, the producer and their overseers, a conclusion CBS likely welcomed because CBS has wanted to remove Dan Rather for a long time because of low ratings. Rathergate weakened his position, and CBS moved. Firing the producers and overseers allows them to say We've turned the page, paid a price and put the story behind us. Also, if the report was to be taken seriously by the rest of the mainstream media it could not allege liberal bias. The MSM were not going to do headlines saying, "We've been busted!"
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
If I was one of thos performance art types, I would stage a funeral for CBS news. It would be complete with coffin and headstone and pallbearers. Morners would be just one elderly couple who have never heard fo the the internet or cable TV.
Peggy nails it nicely. BTW Fineman's editorial is worth the read.
You can probably toss ABC and NBC onto the funeral pyre too.
<< Is it annoying that the panel that issued the report did not find liberal bias in the preparation and airing of the Bush National Guard story? >>
A group of lawyers from a law firm hired by and paid by CBS was never going to report other than in accordance with its client's instructions -- and most certainly was not about to incriminate its client.
And to suppose otherwise would be about as asinine as it gets.
The recent rathergate report is about as valuable in its contribution to veracity as is Little-Rock's Kling Tong raised singlewide's version of the events of the Kling Tong "presidency."
Peggy hits a homerun as usual with her analysis but doesn't give any credit to the clintonian propaganda machine. They rewrote the book, giving rise to the short lived but current crop of extreme fiction writers posing as newsreporters.
The MSM was bad before x42i, but after the impeachment war-room successes, the blueprint was there, was successful, and easily copied.
And then one day along came Buckhead....:-)
First use of the acronym "MSM" I have seen from a major paper... someone has been FReeping - hi Peggy!
great site love it
BTTT
This is only partially true. The alphabet networks (ABCBSNBC) have not been concerned about ratings for their news programs for a long time. They have marched in lockstep with their 5:30 format repeating each other's lies and distortions for too long to believe otherwise. They may fight for prime time but not one of them has experimented with time or content with the news division. Even after CNN, and amazingly even after Fox news. And they still don't get it.
Last Nov David Westin of ABC News spoke at a forum on network news. Reflecting on the slipping ratings and the network news shrinking influence, he lamented that the networks hadn't pressed Dubya on Iraq.
"Simply stated, we let down the American people on weapons of mass destruction, and I sincerely regret that," Westing said.
The networks are all owned by big media conglomerates. The news operating costs can be shared by the newspapers and news magazines they also own. Still the salary cost for Jennings Rather and Brokaw alone are staggering. There will soon come a time, if it hasn't happened already, when the the networks loses money on network news. ABC NBC and CBS will let their news departments lose money because the heads of those news networks, and the heads of the networks themselves, and the media giants that own the networks are more interested in spreading liberal propaganda than making money. If the networks truly were interested in ratings they wouldn't even do the news.
bttt
Worth repeating, and made me think of you!
Wish I could laugh but all that could have written to read in under ten seconds.
Pretentious prognosticating. Here's mine: The future is never as predictable as one might expect. Go and live it.
Holly Hunter was so hot in that movie.
I apologize for wasting your time. I'm sorry.
My criticism was to the presentation. A more ready summary or polite introduction could have been had, instead of the Amwayesque-drag-you-in-and-lock-the-door.
Yet I wielded the ax of my words too harshly! It was a fine posting of yours.
Thank you, sir. Your apology is greatfully accepted.
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