Dan Rathers Attacks weak American journalism blinded by patriotism

[philjit]

Dan Rathers talks to BBC's Newsnight (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1990000/video/_1992461_rather01_holt_vi.ram) (requires realplayer and will work with 56k).

I don't know whether you all like CBS, its prolly considered the 'liberal media'.

Rather's argument is that the US media is sitting on its arses and no longer daring to ask the tough questions because of fear about being seen as unpatriotic. They know the right questions, but the timing for asking them overrides their journalistic instinct. Rather's puts forward that these questions were once important, but now the American public is not intersted.

Comments?

[abs0lutionCFH]

Originally posted by philjit
Comments?

God Bless Fox News.

[philjit]

Originally posted by abs0lutionCFH
God Bless Fox News.

hahahahahahaha Rupert Murdoch!!! yeah right. Fox doesn't ask any tough questions other than the ones that are on Murdoch's agenda. Of course, you won't learn this for a number of years yet, God Bless the Australian that is giving the news to America, and China, and Europe, and well, pretty much the whole planet, go and look up what newspapers and televison channels News Corp has interests in. Journalistic integrity and Rupert Murdoch are incompatible words.

N.B. There are some that will say that I am a whiny liberal because the right-wiong Rupert has become popular and I don't like it. Far from the truth good people. Rupert isn't right-wing, he is whatever the controlling party of his prime targe audience are. When the Republcians lose the Whitehouse, and believe me they shall lose the Whitehosue eventually because in a two party system things are cyclic. Rupert will switch sides straight away, especially if they pay him enough to.

[MAC]

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

Fox's role is to make sure its the opposite of what everyone else is.
If you believe thats liberal, then they are conservative.

Dan Rather has a distinct air of true journalism (IMO) however it seems to disapear on a regular basis, due to his company-man status.

These guys all owe the company for advertising space.
Its seems to make sense that the companys would be "conservative" but...uh....look at time-warner and ilk........

I haven't listened to the interview but I recently got to listen to his new talk show on AM radio.
As I said a minute ago, he has an air of being concerned with actual journalism
who, what, when, where............why......
the "why" is what upsets people and causes crys of "liberal"

Every 3rd or 4th caller to his show was ripping him about being a member of the liberal media and not "asking the tough questions"
he fought valiently to defend himself...but in the end he looked sorta foolish to me.

I would like to know what "tough questions" he is interested in.
Maybe ones about what role our gov't and its agencies played in creating the strife that led to 9-11
maybe questions about "homeland security" and large federal data bases that ar ebein gpushed on the american public as th ebest way tp keep track of the immigrants to this country...only the ones who are threats of course.

no...they wouldn't ask that....only the paranoid gun-toting types would worry about that.....

Its my opinion that the real job of th emedia is to keep the cycle of knowledge of your state and federal gov'ts actions in plain sight. Its how you protect you freedom form that inevitable next step.
Track the student visa's to watch for terrorists, that fine by me.
But how do I let my congressman know when they've gone far enough?
Wait for a poll I agree with?
First I need to KNOW whats going on.
The problem with american journalists isn't a fear of being unpatriotic its a fear of falling out of the agendas of their bosses and not being able to sell you coffee and tampons.

Fox included....I rarely watcht the news and think "Ok now I know whats going on."

Until the day one news prgram does that, I will continue to scan a story in as many sources as I can to get the truth that shows up in all of them.

Note:
The one news source I normally feel I can trust is Bloomberg.
Everything I have seen deals strictly with how this affects the price of things and they seem to be pretty straight forward.

[philjit]

I forgot to mention btw that Rathers in the inetrview did include himself as guilty.

[Laslow]

These are all reasons why I watch television news from foreign sources like BBC, and ITN.

[philjit]

Originally posted by Laslow
These are all reasons why I watch television news from foreign sources like BBC, and ITN.

as a limey I have to love the BBC as its an instituion. I think though that the reason the Beeb is so good is because of the way it is funded and works. We pay a license fee for our TVs (sounds mad I know) but the money goes to the BBC and they spend it in line with two documents, being the The Charter and the Licence Agreement of the BBC. See the BBC is state funded in some sense but not state run and that is what is important, the Charter and License lay down guidelines about the instituions obligations to its viewers, ie in most cases the license payer. Yes btw, that does mean when you are browing the BBC website I helped pay for it to exist in part ;)

And of course the best bit about the BBC is no adverts! This mean I can watch the X Fiels, Buffy and the Simpsons uninterrupted!

[MAC]

No shit.
The simpsons is the finest political commentary you will get anywhere.

I defy anyone to argue that. :)

[TotalAnarchy]

If you like caustic stupidity as your view on life, Mac.

[MAC]

Well, I'm not sur ehow lif eis in australia...judging by those outback steak house commercials you're all attractive mid 20's running around on the beach drinking fosters beer (which would explain snrubby)

But yes, caustic stupidy would sum up most of what tops the charts in the us.

Like multimillion dollar lawsuits for spilling hot coffee on yourself.
OJ simpson and "not guilty"
The war on drugs
Pop music
Public school dress codes
and internet porn

the simpsons is reality, given to you in a way you either cannot argue with or are too stupid to get.