2 years ago
WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Former CBS Anchorman Dan Rather has sued the network for $70 million, claiming it forced him from the anchor chair to appease the Bush Administration and failed to honor contract terms that would have him filing reports for a network news magazine program.
Some long-time critics of Rather have been watching his work for years from their offices in Alexandria's Media Research Center (MRC).
"I thought it was kind of pathetic. He had a long and distinguished career and then to use this lawsuit that CBS was biased against him after all he did to discredit CBS and CBS' journalism with his shoddy reporting in 2004, I thought it was sort of the height of arrogance," said MRC research director Rich Noyes.
9NEWS NOW asked for reaction to the suit from Deborah Potter, the executive director of NewsLab, a journalism resource center.
"It's certainly not a surprise to anyone who has worked at a major network that promises were not kept, that's pretty standard operating procedure," Potter said.
She says the lawsuit is unusual. "I think when you look at Dan Rather and where he is in his career, he has no concern about burning any bridges. He's decided to get the flamethrowers and set them on fire. He's not looking back in a way that he might want to keep good relations. It's pretty clear that he's coming out with all his guns blazing in true Texas fashion," she said.
"I also happen to think that CBS for a longtime was a culture of stars and Dan Rather was the biggest star in the galaxy. What Dan Rather wanted, Dan got and there was this kind of culture where you didn't question Dan or the people around Dan and I think it got CBS into a lot of trouble," Potter told 9NEWS NOW.
"I think its important to know that Dan is a very proud man and he was deeply, deeply hurt by what CBS did ... Rather was hurt and Rather was angry and Rather is a man who believes very firmly in himself. He believes that he is right and I think he sued, in part to prove that," Potter said.
Written by 9NEWS NOW
