Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News - Dan Rather Audiobook

Written by Dan Rather
Read by Dan Rather
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 128 Kbps
Unabridged

This memoir by Dan Rather - one of the most pre-eminent journalists of our time - is told in a straightforward and conversational manner. Rather - who has won every prestigious journalism award in his distinguished career - discusses all the big stories from his decades of reporting. This very personal accounting includes (but is certainly not limited to) his dismissal from CBS, the Abu Ghraib story, the George W. Bush Air National Guard controversy, his coverage of the JFK assassination, the origin of “Hurricane Dan,” as well as inside stories about all the top personalities Dan has either interviewed or worked with over his remarkable career.

Rather settles scores in this investigation of how the news media has become dangerously intertwined with politics and corporate interests. He comes out swinging as he delves into the circumstances behind his firing from CBS News, where he had worked as a reporter since 1962, covering everything from Vietnam to Watergate to the conditions at Abu Ghraib. Unfortunately for Rather, his determination to air a potentially damning story about then-president George W. Bush’s spotty military record irked the higher-ups at CBS’s parent company, Viacom, leaving the feisty anchor unemployed at 75. Never one to shirk controversy, he sued CBS for breach of contract; although the suit was dismissed before it could come to trial, he has no regrets and no qualms about naming names. Indeed, this memoir reads as a muckraker’s delight, with Rather lambasting CBS management as “spineless” and “risk-averse.” He painstakingly details the cloak-and-dagger operations that Bush proponents resorted to in an attempt to hide the truth and discredit Rather’s source materials. Invoking Edward R. Murrow, Rather rails against those who would distort the news for their own gain and intentionally mislead the public. In between, he provides fair-minded portraits of the presidents he has interviewed, traces his passion for the news to his upbringing in a news-savvy family and expresses concern for the future of independent media in an industry that is increasingly kowtowing to the almighty bottom line. While Rather occasionally lapses into platitudes-a chapter on 9/11 offers little beyond well-worn observations about courage and patriotism-he always gives credit where credit is due, and his sincerity is never in doubt.

Date of release: 2012
Length: 12 hours