Dan Rather
Dan Rather is a prominent American journalist best known for his work as a television news anchor, particularly with CBS News. He became the first TV anchor to achieve celebrity status, marked by a multimillion-dollar contract and a notable position as managing editor. Rather's early influences included CBS news reporter Edward R. Murrow, whose commitment to journalistic integrity inspired Rather throughout his career. He gained national attention for his impactful coverage of significant events, such as the 1961 Galveston hurricane and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Rather's tenure as anchor began on March 9, 1981, and he was recognized for his dedication to reporting the effects of policies on people, often displaying emotional depth in his broadcasts. Despite facing challenges, including declining ratings in the late 1980s due to corporate changes at CBS, he remained a respected figure in journalism. After leaving CBS in 2005, Rather continued to engage with media through various projects, including hosting a news program and contributing to cable news commentary. In 2023, he remained active in the industry, reflecting on his legacy as a journalist committed to the foundational principles of reporting.
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Dan Rather
- Born: October 31, 1931
- Place of Birth: Wharton, Texas
Rather was the first television anchor to emerge as a celebrity in his own right as measured by a multimillion-dollar contract.
As a boy, Dan Rather listened to the World War II radio broadcasts of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) news reporter Edward R. Murrow, who vividly described bombings of London and who, in 1954, effectively denounced anti-Communist zealot Senator Joseph McCarthy. Perhaps influenced by Murrow, Rather resembled him in many ways. Both were dedicated to the primacy and integrity of the news. Both sometimes courted danger, as when Rather entered Afghanistan in 1980, shortly after the Soviet invasion. Neither unquestioningly accepted authority; in 1988, Rather confronted Vice President George H. W. Bush, then running for U.S. president, over the Iran-Contra affair. Both also attracted criticism; in 1985, Senator Jesse Helms urged conservatives to buy CBS to control Rather.
Rather first drew national attention with his coverage of the 1961 Galveston, Texas, hurricane and the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. To replace retiring anchor Walter Cronkite, CBS offered Rather a two-million-dollar, ten-year contract and the power of managing editor. Rather made his first broadcast as anchor on March 9, 1981. While rarely altogether relaxed on camera, he communicated honesty and decency. Not content simply to announce news, he focused on the effects of policies and events on the people concerned. He sometimes showed emotion, as when in 1983, he announced the murder of 241 young Marines by terrorists in Lebanon. After a weak first year, he ranked at the top in Nielsen rankings for most of the first half of the decade. Perhaps his most important story of the decade was his reporting of the 1989 suppressed democratic revolution in China’s Tiananmen Square, recorded in his book The Camera Never Blinks Twice (1994).
Rather’s ratings fell late in the decade as the news was transformed with the advent of corporate ownership. The 1986 sale of CBS to Lawrence Tisch introduced the largest corporate cutback of news employees in that network’s history. Rather was among those who futilely protested; he published, with news producer Richard Cohen, “From Murrow to Mediocrity?” in The New York Times (March 10, 1987). His reaction to these changes probably was responsible for his most famous lapse. Broadcasting from Miami in 1987 to cover the visit of Pope John Paul II, Rather found his broadcast cut short so that the ending of a semifinal U.S. Open tennis match could be aired. He walked away, leaving six minutes of dead air. Despite criticism, Rather survived, finally resigning from CBS as anchorman and managing news editor in 2005. In 2006, Rather left the network entirely. After leaving CBS, Rather explored several ventures within the news and entertainment field, including hosting a long-running news, entertainment, and interview program on cable television. He also was a regular guest commentator on prominent cable news programs and published his autobiography. In 2023, Rather continued to be active on cable news networks and on social media. He was interviewed by Sunday Morning correspondent Lee Cowan in 2023 regarding a controversial report about former president George W. Bush's military service in Vietnam.
Impact
Rather inherited the traditions of the word-oriented, on-the-spot, and, if necessary, confrontational radio journalists who virtually invented modern broadcast journalism during World War II. He was at his best when he could live out this inheritance, but network news audiences diminished. He was less successful as news and entertainment were increasingly blended in reaction to competition from cable television.
Bibliography
Alan, Jeff, with James M. Lane. Anchoring America: The Changing Face of Network News. Chicago: Bonus Books, 2003.
Dorn, Andrew. “90-Year-Old Dan Rather Writes His Own Tweets.” NewsNation, 3 Oct. 2022, www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/yes-dan-rather-writes-his-own-tweets/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
Fensch, Thomas, ed. Television News Anchors. Woodlands, Tex.: New Century Books, 2001.
Goldberg, Robert, and Gerald Jay Goldberg. Anchors: Brokaw, Jennings, Rather, and the Evening News. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1990.