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Dan RatherDan Rather

Chris Raine

J-503

May 5, 2007

Dan RatherDan Rather

“A Pioneer and a Lightning Rod”

Early CareerEarly Career

• 1950 - Began career as AP reporter in Huntsville, TX

• 1959 - Became news director for KHOU-TV in Houston

• 1961 - Reported live from Galveston seawall during Hurricane Carla

• 1962 - Hired by CBS as a news correspondent

• 1964 - Became CBS White House Correspondent

• 1968 - Punched by security “thugs” at Democratic convention in Chicago

Rather succeeds CronkiteRather succeeds Cronkite

March 9, 1981

CBS Evening News 1991CBS Evening News 1991

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9mYUgBDe5g

Falling RatingsFalling Ratings

• In 1980’s CBS Evening News was the top rated news program in America

• In 1989, CBS falls to second place

• By 1995, CBS is third in the ratings

• All the networks’ ratings are falling as cable news and the internet offer more choices

Enter Connie ChungEnter Connie Chung

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0fRkfh5kr8

• Connie Chung becomes co-anchor June 1st, 1993

• Rather and Chung have shaky relationship

• Chung does more fluff interviews and pop journalism

• Pairing doesn’t help ratings

• Chung removed as anchor after insensitive Oklahoma City bombing questions

Interview with a TyrantInterview with a Tyrant

Rather interviews Saddam Hussein shortly after Iraq invades Kuwait

“Rather” Biased“Rather” Biased

• Rather is a constant target of conservatives, who accuse him of reporting with a strong liberal bias

• Former CBS reporter Bernard Goldberg levels charges of “heavy liberal bias” at CBS and Rather

• Accusations stretch from Nixon years to Iran-Contra coverage to 2004 election

“RatherGate”“RatherGate”

• In 2004, Rather reported that he had documents proving that President Bush did not fulfill his military duties

• “Killian Documents” are alleged to be fakes by bloggers and other news organizations

• Rather stands by his reporting• Leads to his retirement as anchor of CBS Evening News, March 9,

2005

Dan Rather’s LegacyDan Rather’s Legacy

• Anchored CBS Evening News for 24 years

• Longest tenure as network news anchor in history

• Dominated the news ratings for nearly a decade before decline

• Widely respected, widely hated

• In America’s living rooms for over 40 years, covering presidents from JFK to George W. Bush

CitationsCitations

Wikipedia entry: Dan Rather. Retrieved on May 5, 2007.

www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=49&aid=74795

www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/ratherdan/ratherdan.htm

www.stateofthemedia.org/2007/chartland

www.csmonitor.com/2005/0309/p03s01-ussc.html


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