a simple question about big media 'journalists'

[TrustingDog]

like Wolfy.

is he a bona fide 'journalist', or just a reporter of what the WH hands him? I know the answer, in his case, but I want a comparison of how it worked in the old days before 24 hours newstainment owned by people that like to make bombs and such.

Aren't journalists supposed to check out both sides of the story and not just trust what the gov hands to them as a script? If they don't dig, then they're not journalists, but propaganda pawns.

So how the hell did this one slip by us?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Rather, Brokow, and Leher are REAL Journalists!

Wolfie, Brit Hume, Tony Snow, Judy Woofwoof, Paula Zahn, etc are just spokespeople for the Government machinery.

[TrustingDog]

2. but where were they...

Rather, Brokow, and Leher... when the Iraq pre-war frenzy was hot? I recall Rather being rather submissive....

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Yes, they censored the stories then, but they are no....

where near as whorish and DO NOT attack we Dem's for being Democrats like that damn Cable "news" crap!

[TrustingDog]

4. so...

a real good journalist nowadays is someone who tows the line of the government but still has some semblance of apparent 'class' when they don't do a Rush?

sorry, I think Rather and everyone else on that top of that pyramid of respectable journalism have failed their jobs and failed their country and failed the Iraqis.

[mandyky]

5. Wolfie was the WH correspondent for Clinton

and it was during the impeachment. Needless to say, he wasn't self-censoring then. But as the current administration said - "everything changed after 9-11" and as dan rather has said "American journalist are necklaced".

If Clinton had done 10% of what this crew has done, he have been rightfully impeached by now. But since the GOP owns it all, and there are few statemen (or women) - we no longer have any checks and balances.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. "necklaced"???

[LittleApple81]

8. Referring to subtle pressure from the corporations owning the media

Remember in South Africa when they black nationalists punished those who deviated from party doctrine or were suspected of collaborating with the whites? They put tires around their necks and lit them up. That is what necklaced means.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. But Viacom has a left wing tilt to it and is....

owned by a Democrat.

[LittleApple81]

12. Remember they bow to advertisers. And the war fever was too high

pitched... I am not apologizing for them, is just what happened.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

16. But they still give we Dem's great coverage and.....

Bush get's it bad from Rather.

I guess we will take what we can get.

[TrustingDog]

7. "everything changed after 9-11"...

how fucking handy.

[buycitgo]

10. AFA the media, not a damn thing changed

well, wait; they got even MORE slavishly in line with the fascoids than they were prior

so you got me there

[mandyky]

11. While I was be sarcastic

I can't imagine being a so-called journalist working for for the corporate media and being forced to either be their whore or quit a job that pays the bills, etc. I hate them for being whores, but I pity them for being human and vulnerable.

[TrustingDog]

14. someone like a Rather must have a nest egg....

and not be out on the street homeless if he was fired tomorrow.

where's the guts?

[TrustingDog]

15. I answered myself while pressing the 'post message'....

if Rather-like decided to come clean and report the ugly that he bloody well knows, even he would be censored.

Dan would suddenly be retired to spend more time with his family.

[Lerkfish]

13. The REAL problem is...

the consumers of news. Journalism is a business, and if you don't sell, you don't stay alive.
Why do you think supermarket tabloids are such a big business? because people WANT to be lied to, or at least told what they want to hear.

its a symbiotic relationship...which came first, the chicken or the egg?

of course, its more complex than that when you introduce state-coercion into the mix.

[TrustingDog]

17. I'll bet the old timer bona fide journalists...

wonder how the hell did we got here from there.

but maybe not, it's all been the same game in different ways. There is nothing new under the sun.

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. IMCPO, Christiane Amanpour

is the only REAL journalist left. She was the ONLY "journalist" who had the guts to speak out about having to be embedded under the Pentagon's rules. Information was screened and the Pentagon let them report only what the Pentagon wanted us to know...Christiane was pissed about it and took a lot of crap for complaining about it. The woman has more balls than all the male journalits combined. Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite are proud of her, I'm sure. Modern day journalism is a damn joke.

[Debs]

18. Its about money its about protection of privelege

What matters isnt who is in front of the camera but who is signing the checks. The media definitly failed from the point of view that they are supposed to inform the public. I think thats hard to dispute. The media however does not see its function as informing the public but serving power, and in that respect they did their job. Being propagandistic and supine and cheerleading for the war that will keep the pentagon milk cow for corporate interests drowning in money.

[Kat45]

20. I studied journalism in grad school

Did some freelancing, but (unfortunately) never got a job in the field. When I think of what I was taught, how the field was presented, I have to shake my head at what goes on in "journalism" today. I was taught the importance of accuracy. When I was transcribing an interview tape, I would play it back to make sure I got the word exactly: if the person said "someone," I didn't want to write "somebody." Ok, maybe I was being a bit anal there, but you get the idea.