As if anyone would be interested in Dan Rather being “unleashed,” Tuesday's edition of the IFC Media Project, a weekly far-left show that presumes the media are biased to the right, featured Rather whining about too much entertainment in news and blaming “the big, huge international conglomerate that now owns so many of the news outlets” for bringing American journalism to “a crisis point” -- not his own embarrassing political hit job on President Bush based on forged documents -- for blocking “investigative” journalism.
After offering the trite banality that “investigative reporting, finding out what people in power don't want the public at large to know and disseminating it, is one of the most important roles of journalism,” Rather argued:
It causes trouble because the big, huge international conglomerate that now owns so many of the news outlets, they have special needs in Washington. They are asking for favors, these people, needing favors -- regulatory, legislative needs -- of the very people that good investigative reporters would be digging into and exposing.
Part of the "Dan Rather: Unleashed" commentary on the December 2 edition of the IFC Media Project on the Independent Film Channel:
Investigative reporting, finding out what people in power don't want the public at large to know and disseminating it, is one of the most important roles of journalism in its role as the so-called Fourth Estate. And investigative reporting has gone badly out of fashion. The trend line is against it.
There are reasons. The reasons: It takes longer, it's more expensive than other kinds of coverage, and it causes trouble because the big, huge international conglomerate that now owns so many of the news outlets, they have special needs in Washington. They are asking for favors, these people, needing favors -- regulatory, legislative needs -- of the very people that good investigative reporters would be digging into and exposing, if you will. And this comes in conflict.
I think it's one reason, that it's not too strong to say, that American journalism today is at a crisis point. We either are going to steady ourselves, get back to basics, the basics of what our role in a system of government such as ours is and should be, or we're going to continue this slide downward where news and entertainment are undistinguishable.
Update 17:33 | Matthew Sheffield. One wonders to what degree Rather will repeat this line of thought during the Obama years. During Democratic presidencies, Rather's interest in investigative journalism at the highest levels of government has typically been quite low.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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Comments Policy
→ Honestly Brent
December 3, 2008 - 12:12 ET by Cool ArrowI think it's entirely possible we are the only people left who even know Dan Rather still breathes.
When Dan had a whole conglomerate at his disposal to perpetrate slander against George Bush, I don't remember him railing so much against the power invested in him.
Yeah, that is what I'm
December 3, 2008 - 13:24 ET by KillgraveYeah, that is what I'm thinking, too. He spent decades getting fat at the corporate trough. And now he's biting the hand that fed him. Pathetic.
And I love the whole image they're desperately trying to create... Dan Rather UNLEASHED. Like he's some wild, hip, edgy beast ready to come crashing out of the gate. What, he's, like, 80 years old or something? Methinks if you take the "leash" off of him, all he's going to do is plunk on his butt and stare at you. Or maybe take a nap.
Who?
December 3, 2008 - 12:19 ET by BoraxxarobWho is this "Dan Rather" fellow? Is he important? Why should we pay special attention to what he has to say?
He seems old.
→ 20 Mule Team
December 3, 2008 - 12:28 ET by Cool ArrowAnd let me first thank you for sponsoring Ronald Reagan in "Death Valley Days" way back when.
Dan Rather was once a newsreader. His downfall began when he tried his hand at journalism, a craft for which he was dismally unfit.
once
December 3, 2008 - 12:34 ET by AJBIn order to create 'news' ala forging documents, you have to have a brain and pay attention to small details. For example, there was no proportional spacing on most typewriters, nor was there Times New Roman fonts back in the 70's when his 'memo' was supposedly written. So Dan failed on these two critical measures for creating his own news items. Then he was stupid enough to stick to the lie when caught. Ah, Dan, we knew ye too well...
Yeah
December 3, 2008 - 12:31 ET by AJBNames seems familiar. Didn't he matter once? I think he sold his soul to the devil for getting a show where he could be 'unleashed'. But, I might be confusing him with some other talking head.
If you are old enough . .
December 3, 2008 - 14:40 ET by Mica the Magnificentyou may confuse Rather with this other talking knucklehead . .
http://www.jerrylayne.com/Images/Paul%20Winchell/Knucklehead-Smiff.jpg
no...
December 3, 2008 - 15:28 ET by AJBObvious from the picture that the guy in the picture's IQ is 20-30 points above ol Dan...
Will the next iteration
December 3, 2008 - 12:33 ET by JPR1of this guys program be
RatherUnhinged: Weekly Ranting for Liberals Everywhere ?
Whaddyamean
December 3, 2008 - 13:05 ET by HockeyKidWhaddyamean "next"?!
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Good point HockeyKid
December 3, 2008 - 14:37 ET by JPR1Sooner or later the man is going to run out of people willing to put up any coin to let him make a fool of himself. When your credibility has been trashed, especially in the news game, it's over.
"...American journalism's
December 3, 2008 - 12:35 ET by SickofLibs"...American journalism's role in a system of government such as ours?" Last time I checked we still had only three branches of government, and the media ain't one of them.
Please just go away and retire to some foreign country, Rather. This jerk committed the Number One Cardinal Sin of journalism: fabricating a story (and then lying about it). And some people still value his pontifications.
The business of news
December 3, 2008 - 12:42 ET by KC MulvilleA news outlet is just a group who want to sell you their perspective on what's going on. Dan Rather thinks that because his perspective is so important, he should be allowed to impose his views on you. What's worse, he thinks you should pay him for the privilege of listening to him, including his multi-million dollar salary.
The Founding Fathers had a choice. Should the press be a funded function of the government, or should the press be free and un-beholden? There was little doubt. The Founders left the press as it had always been, a private enterprise. But that meant that the investigative press had to survive by sales. The only way to make a sale is to deliver something that a customer is willing to buy.
Dan Rather must be living in a dream world where the news media is allowed to proceed however they want, without cost. Rather is offended that the press has to survive by sales. Far be it from him to actually work for a living (like the rest of us) by having to please our customers. The reason why most of these news outlets are owned by corporations is that they can't survive otherwise. The prices of goods are usually set by the market, and in 2008 America, Rather's perspective isn't worth a plug nickel. Were it not for these corporations funding the news media as a "loss leader," Rather would actually have to work for a living.
Where's the "UNLEASHED" report on BARRKY's TOP SECRET
December 3, 2008 - 12:46 ET by JaykeLONG FORM BIRTH CERTIFICATE? Talk about secretive government yahoos. BARRKY has to be the worst ever! We STILL don't know ANYTHING about BARRKY. WTH is going on in JOURNO-LAND? Is there anybody who hasn't taken the BLUE PILL?
Me thinks...
December 3, 2008 - 12:47 ET by FinerThingsClubMemberInTrainingThe Rather should replace DG's timeslot on MSNBC.
He's discredited and completely off the reservation, therefore he would fit right in with Tingles, The Mortician, and The Beave!
The End of Dan Rathers Career thanks to LGF!!!
December 3, 2008 - 12:55 ET by PopularTechWe all owe LGF a debt of gratitude
Bush Guard Documents: Forged
Censored Global Warming Videos
I second this statement!
December 3, 2008 - 12:59 ET by FinerThingsClubMemberInTrainingAnd why again will the Democratic controlled Congress seek to regulate the Internet (selected websites of course!)
Another thought...
December 3, 2008 - 13:02 ET by AJBisn't the Democratic Party a conglomerate? They certainly own CBS, NBC, PMSMBC, ABC, CNN, NYTIMES, WAPOST. I would say Dan-old-boy that its already happened!
That's Rather's MO:
December 3, 2008 - 13:07 ET by HockeyKidThat's Rather's MO: constantly missing the big stories, and manufacturing news in an attempt to catch up.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
next...
December 3, 2008 - 15:31 ET by AJBNext thing, you know, is they'll pay to have a poll conducted asking questions to support their position and then report the poll as news. I can just see it happening... really!
It takes longer, it's more
December 3, 2008 - 13:14 ET by fitzfongIt takes longer, it's more expensive than other kinds of coverage, and it causes trouble because the big, huge international conglomerate that now owns so many of the news outlets, they have special needs in Washington. They are asking for favors, these people, needing favors -- regulatory, legislative needs -- of the very people that good investigative reporters would be digging into and exposing, if you will.
You mean, like the racket that GE/NBC/Universal has with it's "Green is Universal" campaign? The one to force those compact flourescent lightbulbs on the market?
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
Woudn't a more accurate
December 3, 2008 - 16:30 ET by Chris NormanWoudn't a more accurate title be Dan Rather: Unbuckled, Unjacketed, Unmedicated, and Unhinged?
So Dan,
December 3, 2008 - 16:27 ET by NorthCoasterI note a tone of bitterness in your comments. Do you have a personal problem that shades your commentary?
Was your problem with the Bush document, that what you wished to be true and accurate, is truly false?
Ok Dan Start your
December 3, 2008 - 21:03 ET by ChattychitoOk Dan Start your evestigation with Obama and we might give you some time.
the Only Biased media is teh Dan and his Liberal media pals of eh big 4
It was depressing really...
December 4, 2008 - 04:09 ET by Michael30When I was in journalism school, that whole Bush National Guard story broke. Everyone in all my classes (even the teacher) fell in love with it.
The problem I saw was that the "th" at the end of the date wasn't right. I was joining the U.S. Army in 1996 and they still used a typewirter, not a word processor like a computer. Therefore, the "th" looks like it does on a typewriter, it doesn't shrink and go to the upper corner of the last word. Besides, most military documents use a different system of stating a date than civillians do. It was an easy mistake to make.
Then came all the people that said the document may be false, but the story is still PROBABLY true...
We were taught that you never publish anything without at least two confirmed sources. A forgery doesn't even come close to that. When I showed my old army papers to my professor and told him what I thought, he seemed disappointed, but admitted that I was probably right.
I must admit my teacher was a decent man and never held it against me. We disagreed on many things, but he wasn't a bad guy. I don't know what became of the other 29 people in the class though, but they're out there, writing the news people read.
Mike