Old Media Dying
by Vincent Fiore

Eight years ago, an obscure little cable outlet by the name of Fox News had its debut. Together with shows like the O'Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes, the new, more balanced media could not be confused with anything on the media empires of ABC, NBC and CBS. They thought the new approach to media was ridiculous and doomed to fail.

But soon, nobody in the board rooms was laughing anymore. "Special Report" with Washington veteran Brit Hume had become the number one political news program in its time slot. Bill O'Reilly, besides being one of the most hated political commentators among the left, had the number one political talk show on all of cable.

But it does not end there, for success breeds success.

Both of Fox's prime time political shows have spawned massive radio audiences as well.

The "Radio Factor" is syndicated on over 400 stations nationwide. Sean Hannity is syndicated on over 500 stations, second only to the matchless Rush Limbaugh.

So now, instead of laughing, the old media is dying. Hemorrhaging viewers and ratings for years, the once inviolate liberal media have seen the future. In that future, they are fast becoming yesterdays partisan and agenda driven dinosaur.

The troubles that Dan Rather and CBS are experiencing have only hastened this.

One week after the "Sixty Minutes II" broadcast which accused President Bush of being the recipient of political favoritism to get him out of going to Vietnam, among other charges, Rather and CBS have only expanded their problems. Predictably, it has also cast a light upon the entire liberal media as well.

With an effrontery that seems almost monumental, Rather, and CBS News president Andrew Hayward continue to peddle an increasingly worthless bill of goods to the public. None of the allegations against Bush-- the "disobeying a direct order" to report for a medical exam, or the "sugarcoating" of his record by the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian--have ever been proven. Rumors and hearsay abound, but hard proof is still lacking.

Now, we are asked to believe the substance of the charges. We are told that Bush has never answered these questions. "It's never been fully, completely denied by the Bush-Cheney campaign or even the White House that he was suspended for meeting the standards of the Air Force or that he didn't show up for a physical," said Rather. "The longer we go without a denial of such things--this story is true."

Really? So if I were to say that Dan Rather is prone to jumping atop tables, droping his draws and singing Ethel Merman show tunes every night, it would be true until proven otherwise? Hardly.

In 1991, we witnessed this same liberal arrogance when Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas was accused by Anita Hill of sexual harassment. After three days of incendiary yet baseless charges, the Senate voted 52-48 in favor of installing Thomas to The Supreme Court. The press rightly dubbed the hearings the "He Said, She Said" sagas.

But you see, that's really what it's all about with Rather and the anti-Bush zealotry of the media elite. The charges may never be proved, or disproved for that matter. What really matters is the seriousness of the charge. It is the type of game the liberal media have been playing, and winning, for years.

CBS has done more for the new media than all the Limbaughs, Hannitys, and Fox News programs could ever hope to. By doing what they are doing with regard to Bush and his National Guard exploits, they open a window into who they really are, and just what is important to them. Dan Rather is giving the average viewer an education into just what not to do when your story is as full of holes as his is.

What if I said that all roads from Dan Rather and CBS lead to the Kerry campaign. Retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett would say and do just about anything he could to defame Bush and is working with the Democratic party to forge documants about the President?

If Dan Rather can continue with his grand canard under the guise of investigative journalism fifty days out from an election, then why can't I?The good news is that his and the old networks' days are numbered and they cannot get away with this much longer.

Vincent Fiore is a freelance political writer who lives in New York City.

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