Rather, Brokaw, Jennings.. Satan (or Kerrys) little helpers

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DAN & TOM: ENOUGH REAGAN

June 9, 2004 -- Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw work for different networks but agree one thing ?- coverage of Ronald Reagan's death has been excessive, they say.
"Even though everybody is respectful and wants to pay homage to the president, life does go on," Rather told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"There is other news, like the reality of Iraq," said the "CBS Evening News" anchor. "It got very short shrift this weekend."

Networks have been going almost wall-to-wall with coverage since Reagan passed away Saturday at the age of 93. The former president was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease nearly 10 years ago.

"Once the herd starts moving in one direction, it's very hard to turn it, even slightly," Rather said. "Nationally, the herd has grown tremendously."

"I think just about everything is over-covered these days," said Brokaw, who anchors the "NBC Nightly News." "The spectrum is so crowded. With all the cable networks, it begins to have a 'video wall' feeling to it."

Jennings said he had mixed feelings about the Reagan coverage.

"I'm more inclined to spare coverage ?- come on [the air], do something meaningful, then get away," he said.

"The last time I had to do it was with O.J. Simpson [during the 1994 car chase], and I had nothing to say after a certain period of time."

Coverage of Reagan's death will continue through Friday's funeral on all the news networks (broadcast and cable). ?-

Link

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One HAS to love the sheer GALL of some in the media...

They have been harping on and on and on and on and on and on about the Abu G prison topic without letup for MONTHS ... without anything new, but oh my God, lets not look for new news because it helps out our agenda of getting Bush out of office.

Reagan died a week ago and he isn't even in the ground yet but it's just 'too much'

Lets not talk about the Cecil B DeMille spectacle that made of JFK, but .. he was a Democrat.

I wonder if they have a list of possible stories every week and they check:

Dan Rather: So Mike, what do you have for me today?

Mike the Producer: Well we have a story about some Marines rebuilding a school.

DR: No, I don't think so.

MtP: Well here is one about the rebuilding of the infrastructure of Iraq.

DR: Booooring

MtP: How about something about the hundreds of thousands of new jobs?

DR: Mike come on ... how are we going to get Bush out of office with stories like that?

MtP: Well I have someone who claims that one of the Abu G prison guards treated him badly in high school and ....

DR: THATS IT .. get him for tomorrow ... we can replay all those pictures of the abuse while this guy talks... it will be great <takes a drink from his Kerry for President coffee mug> God I'm good.

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Ahhh yes.... the unbiased press.

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Fedral- What can I say? I absolutely agree with you, and not only on the Reagan issue. The media will grab a hold of a story..............usually a negative one, like OJ, and milk it to death. I don't think that the average person has any idea of how badly the news is slanted to achieve a media outlet's agenda.

I remember reading something once that really got me to thinking. It said that the way a newspaper can create a crime wave is by putting the news that usually appears on page 17, on page 1!

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Link Fedral? Or did you write this? If you did, bravo!!

I watched the nation mourn Kennedy's death too--wall to wall, morning to midnight coverage on all networks for days--and it was necessary and essential and moving and, in its own way, wonderful. Those who did not vote for Kennedy, even those who strongly opposed him and his policies, also watched and were respectful and recognized that this was an American president deserving of all the pomp and circumstance.

I was listening yesterday to reports that the alphabet networks were trying to figure out a way to 'tone down' their coverage of the Reagan funeral. Their ratings are all up as the nation watches and grieves, but are the overdoing it they ask? You can almost hear them say, 'but this is a Republican for God's sake'. And yet as your post says, they didn't feel they were overdoing Abu Ghraib. They didn't feel they were overdoing the O J Simpson trial or any other really 'juicy' news stories out there. But devoting a few hours to the death of most popular president in this century is giving them pause?

Hopefully the ratings they enjoy will overcome their loathing to give too much friendly coverage to 'the enemy'.

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we live in a world of 'warring' agendas. Rolling Eyes

i guess it saves the trouble of 'thinking' (hard, stressful work); just pick a band wagon, and hop on! Cool

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Thats's too bad that Dan and Tom think there is too much coverage of President Reagans death. Tough munchies fellas...get over it. Millions of Americans, myself included, admire Ronald Reagan and are grieving his death. We have every right to see his funeral. We also enjoy seeing his life celebrated and discussed. Can't we elevate Ronald Reagans status and admiration to that of rock star for just a few days?

Soon enough we'll be back to the daily media drone about Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart, Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson. Rolling Eyes

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Foxfyre wrote:

Link Fedral? Or did you write this? If you did, bravo!!

The link for the part above the line can be found at the bottom of the first section.

The rest is my own writing. My 'fly on the wall' vision of what goes on behind the scenes of the Democratic Broadcasting Service ... err I mean CBS.

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http://cagle.slate.msn.com/working/040609/payne.gif

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http://cagle.slate.msn.com/working/040604/lester.gif

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You know, it is just nice sometimes to see the country come together, put politics aside (somewhat) and mourn a leader who stood for something. I think all the other stuff the media wants to push on us to divide us into opposing camps can wait a week. Is it overdone? Who cares. No one complained that OJ was overdone. At least no one in the media did since their ratings shot up dramatically.

It is the nature of the media to overdo anything that might bring ratings. The only problem with the coverage of Reagan's funeral is that it comes at an inopportune time for the agendas of many in the media, and that is a sad commentary on their allegiances.

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I don't have a problem with mourning the guy, as most liberals don't.

But it's been what, 5-6 days now of non-stop CNN coverage? What more is there to say about him? There's no reason for the rest of the world to come to a standstill because this man's body died.

It's not disrespectful... how would you guys feel if Clinton died, and they gave a whole week (probably 2) of non-stop coverage on it. Don't even lie and say you wouldn't have a single bad thing to say about it/him.

Cycloptichorn

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I think most conservatives, just like most liberals, would mourn the death of any former president. And yes, just like with Reagan, there will be wall to wall, 24 hr., constant coverage no matter who the president was because it is news and it means ratings.

Would I be out front saying bad things about Clinton? No, I really don't think I would. But maybe I am special. LOL He was elected to office and regardless of our different beliefs, I am sure he tried to do the best job he could. And I can respect that. I can never respect the man himself because he flaunted the law and he himself was disrepectful of the office he held. But I would mourn along with everyone else and understand the constant coverage by the media.

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If millions of people did not want the Reagan coverage, I can guarantee you the alphabet channels wouldn't be covering the funeral much because they don't like him much. They are gritching about having to give it so much coverage, but they will because it's money in the bank to them.

The fact is, millions and millions of us loved and respected the man and do believe history will record him as one of the greats. Give us our few days at his passing to remember him.

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I wouldn't be so quick to align myself with millions and millions of people.

Yaknow, average intelligence being what it is and all that.

Cycloptichorn

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Rather, Brokaw, Jennings.. Satan (or Kerrys) little helpers

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