by arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,
November 5, 2004
Dan Rather, the CBS anchor who is well past his sell-by date, was verging on losing it in the early morning hours of November 3. Ed Bradley had carried out a mathematical calculation that showed that George W. Bush needed only to obtain 15 per cent of Ohio’s absentee and provisional ballots to win the state and the presidency. a visibly upset Rather then came out with one of his famous Danisms--just because a chicken has wings, doesn’t mean it can fly.
In a poignant comment, Bradley defended himself by saying that he wasn’t making the math up--the figures came from Republicans in Ohio. This is what the mainstream media has degenerated into--a journalist forced to admit that he’s reporting something and not making it up.
The Dan just couldn’t bring himself to consider the possibility that George W. Bush could win Ohio and a second term. and when Rather next called upon Bradley, he introduced him as “Ed Bradley who is not a mathematics professor”. Bradley then piped up that he did in fact teach math at one point in his life.
Rather will soon retire and join his mentor, Walter Cronkite, whose latest rambling was that White House advisor Karl Rove had concocted the bin Laden tape that was released a few days before the election. But not to worry--for those who love this objective style of reporting, Rather will undoubtedly be replaced by John Roberts who will keep the tradition of shilling for the Democrats alive.
Luckily for those who look to the media for truth and objectivity, technology is making the mainstream networks less and less relevant. In looking at the media during the election campaign, the most significant event was the role that websites and blogs played in ferreting out the truth. When Rather introduced the forged document concerning George W. Bush’s National Guard service, it seemed like only moments before Free Republic and other blogs were posting information that the document could not have been produced on a 1970s era typewriter. That one post will likely mark a turning point in the history of the media and how important stories are covered.
Rather’s departure will mark the end of an era where the mainstream media controls what information the public receives. and it can’t come too soon.