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Opinion
Rather's departure is a little too late
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Don't expect me to shed a single tear over the departure of disgraced news anchor Dan Rather. The longtime news reporter parted company with CBS Tuesday after 44 years with the network. For all practical purposes, Rather's departure was inevitable after his phony story concerning President Bush's National Guard record. But rest assured, if it wasn't the Guard story, Rather was on his way out regardless. He had long since lost his audience and then he lost his credibility.
Rather was described Tuesday as a "reporter's reporter," which is more baloney than you'll find in a butcher's shop. Rather was an abundantly ego-
driven tyrant who loved the spotlight and who wasn't afraid to let his liberal bias escape in public from time to time. Near the end - when it became obvious his time was near - Rather dropped all pretense of objectivity. That is not the definition of a reporter's reporter.
Because of his long-term status with CBS, the network couldn't come to grips with firing him as they should have. Instead, they relegated him to a dark corner of the network and then reduced his responsibilities. And the final straw came when they offered him his latest contract but failed to give him an assignment. Translation - Goodbye Dan, try leaving gracefully.
Sure there will be some final tribute on CBS but an hour-long program can't undo the damage that Dan Rather did to American journalism. Near the end of his storied career, he was voted one of the most unpopular men in America. In contrast, Walter Cronkite, his predecessor, remained among the most popular.
Rather once dominated television news. But he got way too full of himself and assumed the storyteller was more important than the story. How wrong he was.
The legacy of Dan Rather will not be treated kindly by history. He happened to be at a local network affiliate in Dallas in November 1963 and was thrust into the national headlines. Little did we know at the time, it was all downhill from there.
And as Dan said on his final broadcast - courage. Figuring out that final sign-
off is as difficult as figuring out Rather himself.