Editing Dan Rather (section)

== Criticism ==
As one of the last broadcast news journalists from the era of the [[Big Three television networks|"Big Three" network news]] primacy, Rather was generally regarded highly within his profession by long-serving journalists; however, he has been accused of having a liberal bias.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0309/p03s01-ussc.html "Dan Rather: a pioneer and a lightning rod"] at ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/people/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3428729 Dropping the anchorman] at ''[[The Economist]]''.</ref>

=== Claims of bias ===
Rather's on-screen comments and election-night reporting have come under attack dating back to [[Richard Nixon]]'s presidency. In a June 2002 interview with [[Larry King]], his long-time co-worker (and self-described liberal), [[Andy Rooney]] stated that Rather is "transparently liberal".<ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0206/05/lkl.00.html Interview With Andy Rooney], ''[[CNN]]'', June 5, 2002.</ref>

During the weeks following the [[Killian documents controversy|Killian documents]] stories, Rather received widespread criticism from other journalists and historians.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31727-2004Sep18.html In Rush to Air, CBS Quashed Memo Worries] ''The Washington Post'' – September 19, 2004.</ref> In an interview with commentator [[Bill Maher]], Rather accused [[Fox News Channel]] of receiving "talking points" from the Republican-controlled [[White House]]. Fox News commentator [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], who had defended Rather during the Killian documents incident, criticized Rather for not offering any evidence to support the claim.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/dan-rather-owes-fox-news-an-apology |title=Dan Rather Owes FOX News an Apology |publisher=FOX News |author=O'Reilly, Bill |date=December 4, 2006}}</ref>

In 2002, [[Bernard Goldberg]] published a book with the title ''[[Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News|Bias]]'', alleging a liberal bias in print and broadcast news organizations. In the book, Goldberg used Dan Rather as a primary example of a news anchorman with a liberal bias. He also criticized the anchor for his criticisms of President George W. Bush's and Vice President [[Dan Quayle]]'s service in the National Guard, rather than the Active Duty military during the Vietnam War, and questioned Rather's own service.<ref name="Biasbook">{{cite book| last = Goldberg| first = Bernard| author-link = Bernard Goldberg| title = Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News| year = 2002| publisher = [[Regnery Publishing]]| isbn = 978-0-89526-190-8| title-link = Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News}}</ref>

[[Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]] has accused Rather of having "an unwillingness to challenge official power and policy" in his reporting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rather's Retirement and "Liberal Bias" |url=http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2460 |publisher=Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting |date=March 2, 2005 |access-date=December 21, 2008}}</ref> Investigative reporter [[Mark Hertsgaard]] characterized Rather as a "stern [[anticommunism|anti-Communist]]" during the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan administration]], for allegedly having "reported the pronouncements of public officials with considerable respect".<ref>{{Harvnb|Hertsgaard|1988|p=167}}</ref>

In April 2001, according to a front-page story in ''The Washington Post'', Rather spoke at a Democratic party fundraiser in Austin, where he was the featured speaker. One of the official hosts for the fundraiser was Rather's daughter, Robin Rather; Rather said that he did not realize that his daughter was a host of the fundraiser. Rather also said that he did not realize that the event was a partisan fundraiser, although he did realize that after he arrived at the event.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kurtz |first=Howard |title=Rather Spoke at Democratic Fundraiser |page=A1 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34557-2001Apr3?language=printer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810150610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34557-2001Apr3/?language=printer |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 10, 2018 |access-date=September 22, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 4, 2001}}</ref>

=== From Walter Cronkite ===
During an appearance on [[CNN]]'s ''[[American Morning]]'' in 2005, former CBS anchor [[Walter Cronkite]] said about Rather: "It surprised quite a few people at CBS and elsewhere that, without being able to pull up the ratings beyond third in a three-man field, that they tolerated his being there for so long." Cronkite also said that he would like to have seen [[Bob Schieffer]] in Rather's position sooner.<ref>From the March 8, 2005, edition of ''American Morning'' on CNN ([http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0503/08/ltm.05.html transcript]). Quoted in {{cite news |url=http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2005/mar05/mar07/4_thurs/news2thursday.html|title=Bitter-sweet so-long for Dan Rather |last=Vasquez|first=Diego|date=March 7, 2005 |work=Media Life Magazine|access-date=January 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429100014/http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2005/mar05/mar07/4_thurs/news2thursday.html |archive-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref>

=== From Dallas CBS news director Eddie Barker ===
In the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination while Rather was a Dallas reporter, he interviewed a minister, who said some local schoolchildren had cheered upon learning of the President's shooting. The Associated Press later confirmed the story. A teacher at the school backed up the Rather story, confirming that some students at the school had cheered at the principal's news about Kennedy.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Morning Record| date=November 27, 1963 |agency=AP |title=Dallas Students Cheer Shooting of Kennedy }}</ref> [[Eddie Barker]], local Dallas-area news director for CBS, claimed that the children were merely happy about being sent home early, and he also claimed that they had not been given a reason for early school closure (Barker's children attended the school). Barker alleged that Rather had deliberately misrepresented the facts by indicating that the children were happy about the shooting. Barker attempted to fire Rather, but was overruled by the national CBS News management.<ref name="WeeklyStandardCBS">Philip Chalk, ''[https://archive.today/20130105134742/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/324nfvwe.asp Wrong from the Beginning: Even in 1963, Dan Rather was a poor excuse for a newsman]'', ''The Weekly Standard'', March 14, 2005.</ref>