“It is a fact that corporate overlords working in secret collusion with the powers in Washington are intruding far too often in far too many newsrooms,” he said.
A key point that people here seem to be missing (not that any of the criticism is wrong, just incomplete) is how this really shows his fundamental problem as a “journalist.” He states “it is a fact that” and then follows with a statement that is clearly an opinion.
It may be the case that there is a conspiracy between the “powers in Washington” and “many newsrooms.” Well it obviously isn’t the case if the “powers in Washington” are the Bush administration, but assuming it’s hypothetically true, the statement that it’s happening “too often” or in “too many” newsrooms meets the standard definition of opinion.
After 50+ years in “journalism” Dan Rather apparently still doesn’t understand the difference between a fact and an opinion.
Good catch. His thinking is messed up.