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
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