The content on this webpage contains paid/affiliate links. When you click on any of our affiliate link, we/I may get a small compensation at no cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for more info -----------------------
Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am
The New York Sun:
If one is an incident, two is a coincidence, and three is a trend, feature this – top news executives at the New York Times, CBS News, and CNN, all toppled in the past two years by scandals that were heightened by pressure from new journalistic outlets. Taken in isolation, the departures of the New York Times’s executive editor, Howell Raines, and his managing editor, Gerald Boyd; the managing editor of the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather, and three other CBS executives; and the executive vice president and chief news executive of CNN, Eason Jordan, would each be big events. Taken together, they suggest a news industry in the midst of a stunning revolution.
In a column published just days before Jordan’s resignation, Phillip Adams wrote:
There’s a prevailing delusion that the unmediated world of the internet is creating a vibrant, electronic democracy—a parallel universe that will reshape political dynamics and counterbalance mainstream media … it’s hard to see solid evidence of significant impact.
Of course it’s hard to see—all those news execs keep disappearing for some reason!
(Via Florida Cracker)
UPDATE. Michael Gawenda, The Age’s man in Washington, writes a 1020-word column on the “deep malaise affecting the US media�?, in which he miraculously avoids mentioning Eason Jordan or Dan Rather. Jeff Gannon—the notorious Jeff Gannon—is highlighted, however:
After digging by a number of left-wing bloggers, it became clear that this so-called journalist runs a website funded by a Bush-backer, goes under an assumed name, and has in the past been involved in pornographic sites on the internet.
- If I were cynical, I might suspect that “vibrant, electronic democracy” would only be happening if left wing bloggers were forcing the resignation of Fox News executives. When it happens the other way around it is an electronic lynch mob crushing the lefts freedom of speech.Posted by Ross on 02/14 at 05:46 PM • #
” .. prevailing delusion that the unmediated world of the internet is creating a vibrant, electronic democracy .. “
Lefties dislike ‘unmediated’ discussions. They want to control our thoughts and speech. ‘Unmediated’ speech is a danger to the Left. People may think or say the ‘wrong things’.
Recall the times a non-Leftie has been booed off the stage while trying to speak at a rally or university event? (Free speech for me, but not for thee.) There’s also the ever popular accusations of racist, nazi, etc. they hurl at people to make them stop saying things the Left has declared off-limits.
”… it’s hard to see solid evidence of significant impact.”
I’m not surprised he can’t see the impact. It could be he doesn’t WANT to see the impact. For whatever reason he can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. It’s just that he can’t see it, for whatever reason.
Perhaps the impact is more visible in the US than it is in Australia? Perhaps the Australians have more sense than the Americans and didn’t need any help from blogs to see through moonbat lies?
I do know there has been an impact in the US. Just one example from the last election: The Swiftboat Vets (Swifties). These guys were ignored and maligned by our media. It was their internet presence that kept their message alive and helped it spread.
I KNOW this because I’ve got a cousin who is a disabled Vietnam Vet. He’s computer illiterate, but has kept in touch through the years with other vets and his local VFW.
I brought the Swiftie information to his attention. To make a long story short, my cousin, who is very a-political (all politicians are a@@holes to him) and rarely votes, was very involved (for him) in this last election.
He got his buddies involved as well as others from his local VFW. They were pleased to see various sites (like Winter Soldier) finally uncover some of the lies that had been told about them.
If it wasn’t for the various internet sites, my cousin and his buddies would have just stayed home on election day. As it was, they all voted for Bush.
Posted by CJosephson on 02/14 at 06:10 PM • #
- Terry Pratchett wrote a great scene describing this, as he presents a stand of stately trees having a casual conversation, oblivious to the world around them, until one by one, they start disappearing without a trace and one tree finally says…”Hey, did you hear– chainsaws?”Posted by richard mcenroe on 02/14 at 07:54 PM • #
- In addition to the Raines, Rather, & Jordan collapses in the US, Gilligan of the BBC got a lot of play in the ‘blogs in the months and weeks leading to his resignation.
And wasn’t there also some goofs at a Brit tabloid that walked the plank after showing Eastern European pRoN as Coalition soldiers gang raping civilians? The bloggers quickly put paid to that rubbish.
Margo though will never quit. She just goes off on walkabout.
- In my recollection the SMH has not even mentioned the Eason Jorden affair.
I just do d a search through the Fairfax archives and got no results. Not definitive, but in the light of the Gawenda article, pretty damning if true.
The thing is, no rational blogger I know of has spoken in support of Jeff Gannon, but see the leftists step up to the plate to try and help out those of similar political persuasions.
- I’ve just watched a segment on the PBS News Hour, which in Australia is a delayed broadcast on SBS Television, on the Eason Jordan affair. The quote by Richard Mcenroe about not hearing the chainsaws was so relevant. The discussion panel, with the notable exception of Jim Geraghty from TKS, all wanted to have a two-way bet. Jay Rosen was wishy-washy and David Gergen damned near split himself in two with his fence-straddling.
Only Geraghty pointed out that this was not a one-off incident and that Jordan had a history of such statements.
Ho hum……….
