Saturday, June 17, 2006
The disaggregation of Dan Rather
The New York Times story on the twilight of Dan Rather's career is revealing:
The 74-year-old man with the Mets cap pulled far down on his forehead slid into a booth at a diner on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and ordered a glass of milk without so much as turning a head — so quietly, in fact, that it was hard to believe it was Dan Rather.
In place of the swagger that had served him so well throughout his 44-year career at CBS News was an obvious sadness that his tenure at the network was ticking down to an inglorious end. Mr. Rather complained that since stepping down as anchor of the " CBS Evening News" last year, in the aftermath of a reporting scandal, he had been ill used as a correspondent on "60 Minutes" and had been given virtually nothing at all to do for the previous six weeks.
Among the places he had sought solace, he said on a recent afternoon, was in "Good Night, and Good Luck," George Clooney's homage to Edward R. Murrow and the CBS News of old, a film that Mr. Rather said he had seen five times in theaters, most recently alone. (emphasis added)
What is he looking for in that movie? The verdict of history?
Rather, to his credit, is not giving up. He says he is going to hook up with Mark Cuban to work on a start-up called HDNet, and may even *cough* start a blog.
Mr. Rather also said that in April, in anticipation of what seemed to be his imminent departure from CBS, he had formed a company — he named it News and Guts, in a nod to what he considers the pillars of his professional life — through which he plans to create several other journalism ventures, including, perhaps, a blog.
Writing a blog will be a brutal experience for Dan Rather, I think. His traffic statistics will reflect the disaggregation of his real audience from the people who just wanted to watch the CBS Evening News, no matter who was talking. He may be amazed and disappointed at the audience for his blog, especially when he compares himself, in his own mind, to the people who will blow his doors off. If he's already watching nostalgic journalism movies alone, how's he going to feel when his blog generates, oh, a tenth of the traffic of Duncan Black, Glenn Reynolds, Charles Johnson, Power Line, or Jane Hamsher, if that? Rather will be distinguished from the megaphone, and he will learn who was the real draw.
This last bit, I think, says it all:
Mr. Rather expressed some disappointment with Leslie Moonves, the president and chief executive of CBS. In late 2004, Mr. Rather announced he would step down as anchor in March 2005. In the interim, Mr. Moonves told a gathering of television critics in California that he hoped to blow up the program's "voice of God, single anchor" format. (After exploring the notion of an ensemble, CBS announced this spring that it was hiring Katie Couric as the program's sole anchor.)
Asked in the interview about Mr. Moonves's remarks, Mr. Rather said, "My problem with the 'voice of God' thing was that it was meant disrespectfully."
"They talk about wanting a break with the past," he added. "Look at the Murrow film. I don't want to break with that past."
Monopoly news, broadcast by three companies that depend on government licenses: great work if you can get it.
4 Comments:
By 
, at
Sat Jun 17, 12:26:00 PM:
I know Dan Rather from the letter he replied to when I reminded him, for the upcoming 20th Anniversary commemoration of the Fall of Saigon, who it was that stayed behind and covered the story for CBS after it’s entire staff fled in the panic. He said he’d bring this to CBS’ attention, producers etc. That was the last I heard from the guy who “venerates the Ed Murrow tradition”—or any of the others who were congratulating themselves over CBS coverage of that ‘Story of the Decade.’
By , at
Sat Jun 17, 01:08:00 PM:
since ann coulter is more popular than jesus i think she should take rathers post.
By , at
Sun Jun 18, 08:17:00 AM:
If Rather starts his blog, I will still put it in Bookyards Diretory Of Blogs ( http://www.bookyards.com/blogs.html#top ).....and while it is true that I cannot see him matching the wits of other bloggers, reading what he has to say on certain issues may still be worth the time....like listening to Grandpa talking about the Great War.
By , at
Mon Jun 19, 01:33:00 AM:
If Rather blogs and he let's people post, that blog is going to get alot of hits. Man, I can't wait to send a email to the man that ends a newscast with the word "courage"
Please Blog Mr. Rather! Please!
