Dan Rather slides further into incoherence (and irrelevancy)

Gunga Dan wants Obama to form a White House commission to save the press.

Such a commission on media reform, Rather said, ought to make recommendations on saving journalism jobs and creating new business models to keep news organizations alive.

At stake, he argued, is the very survival of American democracy.

“A truly free and independent press is the red beating heart of democracy and freedom,” Rather said in an interview yesterday afternoon. “This is not something just for journalists to be concerned about, and the loss of jobs and the loss of newspapers, and the diminution of the American press’ traditional role of being the watchdog on power. This is something every citizen should be concerned about.”

What could go wrong?!

Two points. First, Rather is talking about what has been referred to as the main stream media or, more accurately, the dinosaur media. You know the media that covers itself in glory with questions like the most enchanting thing about the White House, or it's failure to vet Obama with any serious level of scrutiny. And people have noticed. There is a reason that circulation continues to drop. Ironically, this is the media that Dan himself helped to kill off with the National Guard memo story. "Fake but accurate" is not exactly the greatest premise for credibility.

What Rather has failed to realize is that alternative media has filled the void and, in fact, is thriving.

Second, Rather concludes that a "free and independent" press is vital to our very democracy. Since Dan was always very big supporter of "speaking truth to power" (whatever the hell that means), I think it's fair to assume that he believes it is up to the media to hold the government accountable. So, Dan now believes that somehow having the press dependent upon the government for its very livelihood is not going to effect the reporter's objectivity ?? Really, Dan??

Actually, in Dan's defense this would work for most of the MSM (especially MSNBC and Newsweek) as they have long ago given up any pretense of objectivity.