On March 9, 2005, Dan Rather signed off of his final broadcast as lead anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” with an appeal to courage — courage in the face of physical harm and courage to stand up for truth. He left, or more accurately, was forced out, amid a flurry of controversy after the broadcast of unsubstantiated documents calling into question the military duty (or lack thereof) of the President.
The Killian documents, named for the purported author, the late Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian, stirred up what came to be known as Memogate and later, Rathergate.
The series of six memos alleges that a strapping young airman by the name of George was far from a model soldier during his time with Texas Air National Guard.
With accusations of skipping drills in the name of campaigning and failing to submit to physical exams, CBS News producer Mary Mapes had quite a smoking gun on her hands, mere months before the 2004 presidential election.
Without properly authenticating the documents, scripts were typed up and cameras began to roll, with Dan Rather facing the nation.
The end of that broadcast began a year of angry debate on who to blame and who to sacrifice. Over those months, Rather’s formerly sterling reputation was dragged through the proverbial mud. He left nearly a year-and-a-half to the day after the original ill-fated broadcast.
In a time when the political climate of this country could be described as poisonous at best, people’s faith in American journalists has often wallowed at the dismal levels of the president and congressional bodies.
Rather had more than 40 years of experience under his belt and was a trusted name in news. His network threw him to the dogs under pressure from an outraged right wing.
The newsman had remained uncharacteristically quiet over the dismissal until Wednesday, when Rather officially served his former employers with a $70 million lawsuit more than two years after his departure.
For my part, I’d say it’s about time. While normally I’m not one to high-five personal injury lawsuits for outrageous capital gains, this is a fight that deserves to be fought.
I agree that more consideration should have been put into the release of the Killian memos — calls made, facts checked. After all, when in doubt, take it out. As a journalism student, I hear these mantras daily. However, mistakes were made at all levels, from newsroom to boardroom and beyond.
The decision-making that went into the firing of storied anchorman Dan Rather is entirely indicative of the network’s grasp of the importance of American media.
Katie Couric and her effervescence now occupy the seat once held by Rather, as the “CBS Evening News” settles comfortably into last place in the network news ratings. Welcome, Katie and Co. Get ready for a long ride.
