Comments on: Blogging's not the enemy, says Dan Rather

The seasoned broadcast journalist talks to CNET News.com about old media, new media and the future of journalism in the digital age.

[lingsun]

Who cares what biased members of the media think?

Dan Rather should be best known for the fraudulent documents that he was responsible for airing on CBS during an election year. Maybe the subject of the article should have been about the liberal media's continued lies, deceit, and half-truths in support of the Democratic Party.

[ZululaZulu]

Stick to facts

I suggest your post is more biased than the individul that you
attack.

[fafafooey]

He trashed the bloggers when they caught his lie

He trashed the bloggers when they caught his fake documents - and he *still* insists they are "real".

He's a typical Demokook blinded by Bush hatred.

[Len Bullard]

Who Cares? We Care.

Who cares? We do. The public, what Nixon once called the silent majority, except no longer silent, with access to more information and disinformation than ever before but the ability to TALKBACK. We care what Dan Rather has to say.

Why?

He's an expert. We're not and you're not. He actually has experience that we don't and you don't. He has an informed point of view and he knows how to get the facts and present them. Can he be fooled? Certainly. Did Bush avoid service in Vietnam? Yes, he did. Did Clinton have sex with Monica Lewinsky? Yes, he did. Did Bush, Cheney, Rove, Libby and the rest lie to lead America into a war? Yes, they did.

Do we care about all of that? Yes, we do. Do we need the Dan Rather's of the world, warts and all to use their experience to get good information to us so we can make informed decisions?

Oh God yes, we do, and in this age of a megaphone in the hands of every political operative, every experienced journalist, and every nutcase from here to Bagdhad, we need him now more than we ever have before.

Why?

Because he knows how to get it done. And you don't.

Flame away. You're losing.

[fafafooey]

Don't speak for "we"

Maybe "you" happen to care what Dan Blather thinks, but don't extrapolate what you think into what "we" think. You do not speak for anyone but yourself.

You sound like these self-important media and Hollywood stars, acting as if they "represent us" when they haven't been elected to anything.

"... in this age of a megaphone in the hands of every political operative" - HA! Dan Blather *IS* nothing more than a political operative. He advocates the Democrat/liberal point of view under the guise of an "unbiased journalist".

THAT'S the problem I have with Blather. I'd have more respect for him (well, until his forged document fiasco) if he'd just admit his bias.

Oh, and you're remark about Bush avoiding service in Vietnam - the first day he showed up for duty in the Texas National Guard was one day more of service than Bill Clinton provided his country.

[riredale]

Here we go again

Bush Derangement Syndrome rears its ugly head again. I suspect there is NOTHING that W could say or do that some folks would applaud. If so, they need to check out the real problem by looking in the nearest mirror.

Please, let's just stick to the subject matter. Dan Rather lashed out viciously at the blogosphere when its members quickly and conclusively proved his memos were forged.

Until recently the Main Stream Media held the keys to the information kingdom. Not any more, thank goodness. It has become obvious to many that the old school journalists like Rather inevitably tint every news story they do. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Given that 90+% of all MSM journalists consider themselves Dems, it's only natural to expect a certain slant on every story they do. But the blogosphere bypasses that now.

[CBSTV]

A web log does not make someone a journalist

Journalism is a profession, not a part-time hobby or job. It requires
the types of skills and devotion that are outlined in this interview:
checking facts with multiple sources, traveling to where news
happens, talking with witnesses, making phone calls, doing
research.

It's true that some "bloggers" are journalists. But simply knowing
how to type thoughts and opinions into WordPress does not
sidestep the need for experience, judgment and hard work.

[Phillep_H]

Journalist?

Why are the people on the news shows and writing for news papers called "journalists" then?

[digableplanet09]

I agree with CBSTV when he says real journalists are made through experience, judgement and hard work.
This name calling and the smearing of a person's reputation because they don't agree with you, is very ugly and disturbing. We need objective reporting without childish behavior.