Is CBS Erasing Dan Rather From Corporate Memory?

The Daily Beast:

The latest contretemps involve such momentous issues as: whether the forced-out anchorman, who held the job for 24 years, would be welcomed at the recent funeral and memorial service for his legendary predecessor, Walter Cronkite; whether the 77-year-old Rather was sufficiently represented in a CBS News special celebrating Cronkite's life and times, or in photos displayed during the memorial service at Avery Fisher Hall; whether an independent filmmaker hoping to make a Rather documentary would be granted access to CBS News archival footage; and whether CBS, in Orwellian style, is trying to make Rather a non-person and erase him from the corporate memory.

Read the whole story: The Daily Beast

Comments

[spiritpony1]

Rather is a mean-spirited old malcontent; while it is certainly true the news and media needs major "reform"------it would be nice if cable went away altogether­-------wha­t is this old (irrelevant) guy's problem. He retired w/ LOTS of dough---more than he deserved, didn't do due diligence on some stories, which, in fact could have been big deals done properly, and, therefore, throwing the whole thing into a lack of credibility. It is only now, that he is out, that he suddenly "cares"; for years, he took the gravy and pretended to be Cris Matthews or Rachel; heck, he was never even anywhere near Walter Cronkite----

[Rob Horton]

Rather was a victim of the right-wing "blogosphe­re." The disputed documents in the Bush AWOL case were genuine, despite the claims about the capabilities of the IBM Selectric typewriter by bloggers who had never used one. You may recall the argument was that the typewriter could not do superscript letters, however, the typewriters placed into service under government contract in the mid-1960's were, in fact, capable of typing superscript characters. That the failing memory of an 80+ year old administrative assistant couldn't recall typing a specific memo, which she had no reason to remember, was used to bolster the argument simply shows how little fact they had to dispute the claim.

[springsm]

Perhaps this is a reason we don't have honest news anymore. Rather was gutsy enough to say it like it was, bring out the AWOL story which had been around for a long time and to expose some of the under world of the bush administration. CBS thought it best to be a lemming. I have not watched them since. It was hard enough then, but Rather was a real news person. He was honest enough to want to be honest on the air. Pity CBS. There are no more honest and brave "news" anchors, imo.. I was glad when Tom Brokaw left NBC...he had become a prima dona and when he is on for an opionion or as a guest..I switch to Animal Planet or Discovery.

[arvay]

Having worked many, many years for a large corporation, I'm laughing at the term "corporate memory."

Corporations are profit-oriented entities, not keepers of objective heritage. They "remember" whatever is useful to their basic objectives and "forget" what is inconvenient or counterproductive. This isn't an indictment, it's just a statement of fact, like "Zebras eat grass and lions eat zebras."

The company I worked for achieved a lot of things that benefit humanity, and gets credit for that, as it should.

But I wouldn't expect the company to advertise its mistakes -- that used to be the purview of journalists, many of whom are too wrapped up in self-aggrandizing gestures and a belief that anyone should give a rat's ass about this kind of internal politics.

[jesselee26]

rather was who i watched every evening as a child. it's stupid to think emotionally about these things, i know, but whenever i hear the latest crap cbs is pulling with him... i feel like somebody is hurting my grandpa or something.

[1dogs2]

I've had no use for CBS News since their cowardly capitulation to the Bushies and failure to close ranks around Dan Rather in 2004. Their conduct toward him since then stinks of guilty conscience. No doubt Rather was a prickly and occasionally unpleasant person to deal with, but he was independent and courageous -- excellent qualities in a newsman and conspicuous for their absence at CBS since he left. And management wonders what happened to their ratings.

[jalowe1957]

Dan Rather was being airbrushed and wiped off CBS's history in the manner of a los desaparecido -- the term coined to describe one of the many Chilean political dissidents that disappeared -- and in many cases murdered -- under the tyrannical rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet and his military junta. And all because he wanted to report what he believed was the truth.

The CBS corporate brass who cowardly caved to the Bushites have since shamefully treated him as if he was a los desaparecido. In that regard, they are no better, and perhaps no different, than Pinochet and the Chilean junta.

Sad to say, Edward R. Murrow must be lamenting in his grave.

[miksmaster]

Dan Rather is the only MSM guy to report the truth on the AW OL story. W & Rove were paying the swifters millions of dollars to smear Kerry. It's amazing how many Bushies got deferments or nat'l guard appointments. And Dan Rather gets punished for telling the truth??? Where the F%^K do we live? What country is this? It doesn't seem like American any more. They smear a guy that got a Purple Heart and they didn't even go to Nam. Then, W, a passenger in a fighter jet, lands dramatically on an aircraft carrier and declares "mission accomplished". What an absolute joke. W the di m wi t in a flight suit, carrying his helmet. How embarrassing for our country. Bring back Dan Rather. We need 500 Dan Rathers to combat lies like these.

[jukesgrrl]

Co-sign.

[blueskybigstar]

Dan Rather is taking on corporations and the secret government who chose Bush to be elected. He should be commended as much or more than Cronkite for the difficulty he is being put through.

[MintysMom]

I noticed Rather was missing from the recent 60 Minutes show commemorating the death of the creator (can't recall his name at the moment). I saw a very brief shot of his back that they left in one bit of footage.

[blogisti]

America has no memory remember? If it did it would remember both Rather and Jennings comment when the Twin Towers fell that it looked like a "demolition".

[blimie]

Dan Rather and Peter Jennings had credibility. Tom Brokow sold out. Rather really needs to write a book and tell the whole story or someone will tell it for him.

[mikefina]

Sorta like getting a prison tatoo removed. Tatoo served it's purpose on the inside, a lot harder to defend it once paroled. Just make the whole experience fade away...

[Synthon]

One can only hope.

[wizegeye]

More than anything else, Dan Rather killed is own career and reputation. The 60 Minutes Wednesday segment on Pres Bush's National Guard service demonstrated poor journalism and a lack of integrity. The Thornburgh/Boccardi Review Panel Report provided a number of conclusions regarding the process by which the segment was prepared and broadcast, and the public statements in the aftermath of the segment. There were so many holes in the story and authenticity of the documents, that any good journalist worth his/her salt would never have run it.

[blueskybigstar]

It was a setup.

[1dogs2]

On the contrary, the story was absolutely correct in its essential facts, facts about Bush that the American people had a right and a need to know. The Bushies (and CBS brass with yellow stripes down their backs) deflected attention from those essential facts by focusing on whether the document upon which Rather relied was the original or a copy. The woman who typed the original document testified that the document contained the same information that was in the original that she prepared. BFD, especially in light of the kind of journalistic irresponsibility that has become the standard in the industry.

[spiritpony1]

"essential" is not good enough to make it fly; that is a fact; if it is to stick, it has to be not shot full of technical holes. That is the reason a lot is thrown out of court, in spite of guilt-------due diligence will work usually; sloppiness will not----no matter how "right " the larger picture is-------