Posted on 09/25/2004 12:04:54 PM PDT by forest
Although it is really funny to watch, most of us are getting a bit weary constantly hearing about Dan Rather and his Democratic Party/Kerry campaign-fueled accusations in memogate. This time, the deception of CBS was easily identified and publicly exposed. Unfortunately, that is not always true with the liberal propaganda generally spewed by "Old Media." Quite often, they get away with it.
CBS and Dan Rather now want us to believe they were "misled." No they weren't. Terry McAuliffe at DNC and the Kerry campaign had those memos first. CBS admits that their news producer, Mary Mapes, has been searching that Bush Guard story for years -- practically begging for some type of dirt to turn up. The story was a contrived deception, a coordination between the Kerry campaign, the DNC and Bush haters at CBS.
On September 10, Dan Rather told us: "I know that this story is true. I believe that the witnesses and the documents are authentic. We wouldn't have gone to air if they would not have been. There isn't going to be (an) apology."
The arrogance at CBS prevailed. In an absurd announcement, Rather labeled anyone not agreeing with his liberal baloney "partisan political operatives."
Throughout this fiasco, knowledgeable bloggers on the Internet joined forces, traded information and published what they found for comment. There were very extended, in-depth discussions concerning the memos on Free Republic[1]. Drudge posted much of the information and links to some of the discussions. Talk radio jumped on the topic. Fox News presented a lot of the evidence for those without computers to see. And, clearly, CBS quickly became the laughing stock of the Old Media.
It took 10 full days for CBS to finally start to admit they were attempting to perpetrate a fraud on the American people. On September 20, Rather announced: "I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. ... We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry."
Well, too little too late. Dan Rather and CBS attempted to disparage the President of the United States using contrived stories and forged documents. CBS owes President Bush an apology, and that apology should be the same length of air time as the original story. It must be sincere, accurate and identify those CBS producers and staff who worked in the background to perpetrate the fraud.
In other words, CBS must publicly admit its bias. Then, clean house. Otherwise, Viacom might just as well cancel all CBS "news" programming because no one is ever going to take them seriously again. "New Media" is in force now and will be relentlessly fact-checking everything "Old Media" does for both accuracy and bias.
Jonathan Klein, a former senior executive at "60 Minutes," said on Fox News a few days ago that "Bloggers have no checks and balances. . . . (It's) a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas."
Well, Jonathan, take it from someone who has been writing op-eds on this New Media for over ten years: that just is not true at all.
If I make a factual error, I receive 30 to 40 replies within two hours after sending out the newsletter. Many like to correct my spelling and grammar. When posted on interactive sites, it is not uncommon to see disparaging comments simply because the reader did not fully understand the material. Most interesting, though, are the comments from those who do actually understand what I write with great clarity but disagree because their personal political beliefs are way out in the ether of one extreme or another.
"No checks and balances"? The cold hard fact is, we have each other for checks and balances. And, when hundreds or thousands of politically adroit people read the material, every aspect of it can get nitpicked to death within minutes.
That's the way of the New Media. On one hand, this is no forum for the thin-skinned. On the other hand, one can learn a whole lot really fast here.
Clearly, Old Media's days are numbered. New Media is feeling its oats now and will not be reined in by the Old. Simply put, Old Media is just too biased and makes too many subtle errors to keep up with New Media.
Which means, this is probably the last Presidential campaign that Old Media will be able to effect.
1. <http://216.180.225.13/frforgerypdf09154.pdf>
The "Old Media" is being exposed by the "New Media" (the Internet and Free Republic.)
It took 10 full days for CBS to finally start to admit they were attempting to perpetrate a fraud...Well, too little too late.
"New Media" is in force now and will be relentlessly fact-checking everything "Old Media" does for both accuracy and bias.
Bloggers do have checks and balances -- each other.
Simply put, Old Media is just too biased and makes too many subtle errors to keep up with New Media. Which means, this is probably the last Presidential campaign that Old Media will be able to influence.
Evan Thomas of Newsweek was quoted as saying the MSM would be worth about 15 points for Kerry in this race. If the media went to the same lengths to expose Kerry and educate the public about this guy's antiwar activites, his indefensible senate record and yes his pencilwhipped military record, then Bush would win 49 or 50 states.
Run, forest. Run!
Of course you know this post is Rather biased. This is outrageous! Just another partisan Freeper. :) Hehe!
Great post.
that's trippy:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1226969/posts
==="No checks and balances"? The cold hard fact is, we have each other for checks and balances. And, when hundreds or thousands of politically adroit people read the material, every aspect of it can get nitpicked to death within minutes.===
In some "professions" this is known as Peer Review.
What an excellent article - my sentiments exactly. Thomas Jefferson and the other drafters of the constitution can smile again as freedom of the press is finally correcting itself!
Dan Blathers is a biased man with leftist leaning. He needs to retire now.
Leo Garza's 'Nacho Guarache'
http://www2.mysanantonio.com/opinion/cartoonarchive/leo.cfm
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Little fishees ping!
That's the way of the New Media. On one hand, this is no forum for the thin-skinned. On the other hand, one can learn a whole lot really fast here.
nodding, smiling from ear-to-ear, bump
So are we FReepers the piranhas, or are we the examiners of the piranhas, or are we a combination of both?
Piranha.
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