Among the self-imagined elite of the media “too good to check” denotes a story they know is almost certainly a lie, but so neatly matches their prejudices and preconceptions, and so beautifully supports whatever narrative they’re currently pushing, they choose not to do minimal due diligence to confirm it. Two independent sources are necessary to confirm the truth of a story before publication? Not for years and years, perhaps not ever.

Such was the state of professional, Columbia Journalism School, journalism in September of 2004, when Dan Rather, then head anchor of CBS News, aired a 60 Minutes II segment claiming George W. Bush served dishonorably in the Texas Air National Guard. Rather, and his producer Mary Mapes, mysteriously obtained documents supposedly proving their report, but within days, the story fell apart. Led by Powerline, the documents were proved to be frauds produced on Microsoft Word using Times New Roman Font. That font wasn’t available then, and certainly not on the IBM Selectric typewriters available to the Texas Air National Guard.

Graphic: F-102, USAF, Public Domain

There were a great many proofs the story was a fraudulent attempt to elect John Kerry, including the fact Bush was among the most accomplished F-102 pilots in the Guard. The F-102 was a dangerous and difficult to fly interceptor. Also, unlike the claims in Rather’s segment, no strings were pulled to get Bush a pilot slot, and his commander, who died long before the 60 Minutes II story, thought highly of Bush. 

The story also claimed Bush somehow dishonorably avoided service in Vietnam, but that blew up when it was proved he volunteered for Vietnam, but the conflict was winding down, he had too few flight hours, and it would have taken too long to retrain him in another fighter.

 Rather and CBS tried to stick it out, and Rather invented a new journalistic aphorism: the documents, and the story, were “fake but accurate.” OK, so it was all a lie, and we can’t prove It, but Bush is BAD, and we know he must have done something wrong, so our lies are accurate. It’s an aphorism repeated by the legacy media since, even if not word for word, in spirit and intent.

CBS soon forced Rather to retract the story and within a year, Rather “retired.” CBS hired outsiders who investigated and produced a damning report, and Rather sued CBS. The suit was unceremoniously dismissed. Since, Rather and Mapes have never stopped trying to resurrect their lies in book and cinematic formats.  

Graphic: X Screenshot

In April of 2018, Powerline reported CBS tried to rehabilitate Rather: 

The former CBS News anchor Dan Rather will make a brief return to the network Sunday, appearing in a live interview 18 years after his controversial exit. Rather, 92, is slated to be profiled on CBS News Sunday Morning through an interview with correspondent Lee Cowan, the network announced. The segment will, in part, promote the soon-to-be released documentary Rather, which chronicles the legendary newsman’s “rise to prominence, his sudden and dramatic public downfall, and his redemption and re-emergence as a voice of reason to a new generation,” the doc’s producers wrote in a statement. Rather’s falling out with CBS began with his 2004 60 Minutes II report about George W. Bush’s National Guard record that relied on documents CBS failed to authenticate—something the then-president skewered the network for. The incident shattered Rather’s reputation, despite the documents never being proven to be forgeries. The controversy, which was dubbed “Rathergate,” was dramatized in the 2015 film Truth. Rather’s return to CBS will air at 9 a.m. EST on Sunday.

That didn’t work out well for CBS or Rather. The documents were conclusively proved to be frauds. The media absolutely can’t let a bad narrative die, so in April of 2024, when Rather turned 92, CBS, and Netflix, resurrected the story and him, producing a documentary on his life and works.

Graphic: X Screenshot

Media critic John Nolte wasn’t impressed:

This is all CBS has to say about Rather’s unforgivable meddling in a presidential election with a big, fat hoax:

In 2004 Rather filed a report for “60 Minutes II” that questioned George W. Bush’s service record in the Texas Air National Guard, reporting on “new documents and new information” about the president’s military service. But the documents on which Rather and his producer based their reporting could not be later authenticated.

Thus was CBS’ and Rather’s lack of ethics exposed. Journalists are supposed to “authenticate” their stories before they’re broadcast, not after they’re proved forgeries after the broadcast. Rather certainly didn’t invent media corruption, but he stands as one of its most egregious and unrepentant practitioners. Nolte concludes:

Rather still refuses to admit his story was fake. He stands by fake but accurate, and that is not only a lie on top of a lie and forgery, that is the opposite of contrition.

Dan Rather deserves only ridicule, contempt, and scorn.

And so does every “journalist” that has followed in his footsteps.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.