Dan Rather anchored the ‘CBS Evening News’ for over 20 years, starting on March 9, 1981. But he always seemed more in his element as a reporter, and now as a news analyst on social media.
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There was once a bipartisan consensus that media power had to be regulated if democracy were to survive.
The public’s relationship with news is defined more by its skepticism of the profession than by its impressions of journalists or media outlets.
A landmark 1964 Supreme Court ruling protects the press in lawsuits by public officials angry about how they’ve been covered. It’s being targeted by President Donald Trump.
Starting in 1950, as the fear of communist subversion spread throughout America, McCarthy launched hearings that were based on scant evidence and overblown charges.
Journalism has been fodder for politicians’ contempt for generations. A huge percentage of the public doesn’t trust the news media either. That mistrust isn’t a bad thing in a democracy.
There was a time when well-known journalists resented preelection polls and didn’t mind saying so. One even said he felt “secret glee and relief when the polls go wrong.” Why did they feel this way?
Why do TV news shows book interviews with people who lie or obfuscate? Dogged interviewer Mike Wallace was an example of how to do it right. But on live TV, it’s almost impossible to do what he did.
CNN has just announced it has hired a former Trump administration official to help direct political coverage. A storm of criticism ensued. But political hacks have long found a home in journalism.
Top contributors
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Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine
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Professor Emeritus of Communication, American University School of Communication
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Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin is a Friend of The Conversation.
Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University
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Associate Professor of Communication, University of Utah
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Professor of Media Studies, Penn State
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Adjunct Lecturer in Communication, University of Illinois Chicago