Posted on 07/31/2009 5:37:24 AM PDT by cbkaty
Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather called on President Barack Obama to form a White House commission to help save the press Tuesday night in an impassioned speech at the Aspen Institute.
“I personally encourage the president to establish a White House commission on public media,” the legendary newsman said.
Such a commission on media reform, Rather said, ought to make recommendations on saving journalism jobs and creating new business models to keep news organizations alive.
At stake, he argued, is the very survival of American democracy.
“A truly free and independent press is the red beating heart of democracy and freedom,” Rather said in an interview yesterday afternoon. “This is not something just for journalists to be concerned about, and the loss of jobs and the loss of newspapers, and the diminution of the American press’ traditional role of being the watchdog on power. This is something every citizen should be concerned about.”
Rather, who has been a working reporter for more than six decades and currently hosts “Dan Rather Reports” on HDNet, pointed out that there are precedents for such national commissions, which have been used to help other at-risk industries.
Corporate and political influence on newsrooms, along with the conflation of news and entertainment, has created what Rather called “the dumbing down and sleazing up of what we see on the news.”
It has also thinned the amount of investigative and international journalism. The latter loss of correspondents covering America’s two foreign wars, Rather opined, is both a critical detriment to the nation and a disservice to our troops.
Tears welled in the lifelong reporter’s eyes as he discussed the dwindling number of war correspondents.
“I feel particularly strong about coverage of the wars,” he said, noting that covering the war in Afghanistan is his top priority on his HDNet program. “No apologies, both as a journalist and as a citizen I just can’t stand to leave those guys out there, fighting, dying, bleeding, getting torn up and say, ‘Look, it’s page 14 news.’ Or ‘Sorry, not on tonight’s newscast.’ It’s an example of the problem, that and not having the watchdogs.”
The free press, as established by the First Amendment to the Constitution, ought to operate as a public trust, not solely as a money-making endeavor, Rather argued, and it’s time the government make an effort to ensure the survival of the free press. If not the government, he suggested, then an organization like the Carnegie Foundation should take it on. Without action, he predicted, America will lose its independent media.
“If we do nothing more than stand back and hope that innovation alone will solve this crisis,” he said, “then our best-trained journalists will lose their jobs.”
andrew@aspendailynews.com
How is a press sucking on the government teat and simply acting as a PR agency for an incumbent political party "free" or "independent"?
Not to worry Dan...Kinko’s is too big to fail.
You know it would probably be just as effective a use of taxpayers dollars to create a new Czar in charge of playing with all the “SuperPoke Pets” on Facebook.
That is at least as worthy an idea as Dan “What’s the Frequency” Rather’s.
You reap what you sow, Dan....reap what you sow.
Oh Danny boy, the network types are falling
From rags to rags, a downward market slide
Old Walters gone, and network powers are dying
‘Tis you, ‘tis you must go your face to hide.
But come ye back when hell feels cool and mellow
Or when the devils playing in the snow
‘Cause I’ll be here with fake TANG memo throbbing
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, you too must go.
And if you come, when all the networks dying
And they are dead, as dead I they can be
You’ll come and find the treasury is piling
up stacks of stimulus for buggy whips and thee.
I did have the satisfaction (not to mention a thousand giggles) of putting a Bush/Cheney sign in his front yard during the election. He was not here at the time, so it stayed there at least a month before someone saw it and removed it—LOL!
Why should ozero bail out the media? They already have one sided praising coverage. Kinda like getting free milk from the cow. And if the media continues to lose jobs, they will not report this because it looks bad for their guy. I think they are caught between a rock and a hard place. If they had been honest about ozero and the dims, they would all be fat and happy with fat balance sheets now. Sucks to be them.
What a waste! Trying to “save” something that is hell-bent on committing suicide...
One of my buddies put a Bush/Cheney sticker on the back of a liberal’s pickup. He always parked in the back line of the parking lot and would back into the space. That thing stayed on his truck for almost a full month. The lefty was HACKED when he found it.
At least what we do is not harmful or destructive , and does not cost the taxpayers any money. Heck, in the long run, we might even educate some folks.
What was really ironic is when I overheard him and another lefty talking one day. They both agreed they would never work for a black man (actually used the ‘n’ word) or a woman and never vote for either one.
Just before they retired, they got a black boss. I think his selection may have accelerated their retirements. I also wonder who they voted for last year. Probably Ron Paul.
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