General Discussion

Last edited Fri Jul 25, 2025, 11:54 PM - Edit history (6)

for his trying to be a truthteller while on-air.
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"60 Minutes" aired a controversial segment in 2004 — just before the presidential election — that criticized President George W. Bush’s Texas Air National Guard service. The piece, reported by Dan Rather and produced by Mary Mapes, was based on documents whose authenticity was later heavily challenged.

After political and media backlash, CBS launched an internal investigation and issued a public apology. Rather and Mapes stood by the story’s core truth, but CBS distanced itself from them. The fallout led to:

CBS executives disavowing the segment

Firings and forced resignations (including Mapes)

Dan Rather stepping down as anchor months later and ultimately leaving CBS entirely

This retreat by "60 Minutes" leadership under pressure from political forces is widely seen as a form of institutional capitulation — or kowtowing — to the Bush administration and its allies.
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.Reference Links:
1. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/10/business/media/cbs-forces-dan-rather-out-as-anchor.html


2. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4471113


3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2005/03/10/dan-rather-steps-down-as-cbs-anchor/0c0a5fc6-b15c-4a07-b739-b01ebf3ac8ff/


4. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/mar/10/usnews.broadcasting


5. https://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/09/rather.exit/index.html


6. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-10-fi-rather10-story.html


7. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/dan-rather-cbs-george-bush-60-minutes-scandal-1234629/


8. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/dan-rather-reflects-on-leaving-cbs


9. https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dan-rather-cbs-scandal-60-minutes-msna206371