In a short commentary in AdBusters Dan Rather, former anchor of CBS Evening News and broadcast journalism icon, had some terse words for American journalism and the “international conglomerates” that own it:

I believe the American people want to stand up to political pressure and say, “Report the news the way we want you to report it and if you don’t, you will be made to pay a price.” It has led to a situation where the red beating heart of a representative democracy, a free press, is run by large multinational conglomerates. They work in myriad ways, particularly in secrecy, and their influence is far too great in newsrooms.

Be that as it may, I think Dan is a bit bitter.