Dan Rather Takes On Network News With His Tart Remark

Rather did not say the situation was entirely hopeless. He said he likes ABC's "World News Tonight" with Charles Gibson, which is in first place among the three network evening news shows, and he also expressed admiration for Brian Williams of NBC News.

Rather also said that "under Rick Kaplan, the CBS newscast has unquestionably improved."

There has been enough back-and-forth-and-back-again for one day, because there are important, larger issues. They are issues that have dogged the networks since the day "60 Minutes" became a hit and taught the networks that the news could make money, big money, and no longer had to be carried as a loss leader or as a public service to viewers.

Now, instead of investigating ways to build audience, even among the young, the networks have tended to throw in the towel -- with such possible and notable exceptions as CNN's lively but solid "Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer and its awesome News Wall.

"Young people will never watch the news" is as sacrosanct a bromide as "Young people will never read a newspaper."

Well, they'd better. Rather isn't being alarmist when he wonders what will happen to a nation addicted to fake news, celebrity gossip and pop-star prattle -- when people abandon the very virtue of being informed and instead insist on constant titillation from TV, cable and little gadgets they carry around in their hands.

"Broadcast news, and journalism generally, should not be a sedative," Rather said. "It should be a wake-up call."

Diplomatically or not this week, Rather was trying to contribute to that wake-up call with his remarks.