Emotional Rather blasts 'new journalism order'

[deadparrot]

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather said Monday that there is a climate of fear running through newsrooms stronger than he has ever seen in his more than four-decade career.

Rather famously tangled with President Nixon and his aides during the Watergate years while Rather was a hard-charging White House correspondent.

Addressing the Fordham University School of Law in Manhattan, occasionally forcing back tears, he said that in the intervening years, politicians "of every persuasion" had gotten better at applying pressure on the conglomerates that own the broadcast networks. He called it a "new journalism order."

He said this pressure -- along with the "dumbed-down, tarted-up" coverage, the advent of 24-hour cable competition and the chase for ratings and demographics -- has taken its toll on the news business. "All of this creates a bigger atmosphere of fear in newsrooms," Rather said.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/20/MTFH18190_2005-09-20_03-11-20_FLE011365.html

[Clark2008]

1. Television newsrooms, I'd clarify.

Why a print reporter (whether that's newspapers or online) would worry about looking like a tart is beyond me.

(I was a print journalist for 12 years. I miss it, but having time to spend in the evenings with my family is more important).

[faithnotgreed]

2. this is similar to last years address he gave

at an investigative reporters or editors? conference last year in denver

holding back overt display but plenty emotional and intense with his words
he so knows what is going on and encouraged everyone to please take risks and do their job as reporters

thanks for posting it
we need you dan to keep speaking up and with your access how about an expose or 3
(or assisting someone else to do them)

[SteppingRazor]

3. As long as media owners...

value the bottom line over quality journalism, and style over substance, we'll have this problem.

[enid602]

4. market

I don't think so. I think most viewers nowadays would hapily watch if the truth were offered. These media outlets have decided not to air the truth, despite the market for it. Fox News is a case in point; its news shows have consistently lost share of viewers and revenues as they continue to pump conservative rhetoric. They're doing so is not a good marketing decision. I say give the viewers what they want! Conservatives are always saying that the market should decide what gets consumed. Why should news be any different?

[SteppingRazor]

5. Seriously?

You think if they put honest, hardworking newshounds on the morning shows -- some modern incarnation of Edward R. Murrow, say -- that people would watch that over the Today show? Over Katie Couric?

You honestly believe that people want real serious news with no gimmicks, and that such a program would win in the ratings over its airheaded competition?

Wow. Even amid a site chalk-full of unwarranted optimism, you've left me at a loss ;)

All I can say is, I strenuously disagree. A straightforward, serious news show would tank in a matter of days when faced with the vacuous competition. Sure, we here at DU would want real news -- well, a lot of us would, though some of us would turn it off immediately at the first sign of anything we disagreed with :evilgrin: -- but most news consumers are not like us. Most news consumers are not junkies.

[enid602]

7. free market

Jack Welch of GE and Rupert Mudoch of Fox and the Clearwater Communciations bunch control the media in this country, and appear to have sent down edicts ensuring that only conservative talking points are served up in the news. That is not the market at work. It's purely political. Murdoch takes a loss on his FOX News, but his London Times can write whatever it wants, at great profit. Why shouldn't his FOX outlet be just as profitiable, and air all the news?

With a true free market approach, you'd still have your Katie Courics and Schiavo/Aruba/Runaway/Jackson stories, but I think stories relating to DSM, Iraq war resistance, corruption, etc would have been given a good deal more air time.

[proud patriot]

6. "goodnight and good luck"

Hopefully people will watch this new movie when it
comes out on Oct 7th .

[faithnotgreed]

8. most definitely - is there a website

that lets you know where its showing (i understand it to be in limited release)
like f 9/11

thank you

[firefox]

9. This made greatest page in Editorials forum

Just in case you want to read other comments on this story- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x158145

[lonestarnot]

10. Should make it here also... nominating!

[firefox]

11. Okay, nomination #3 n/t