Dan
Rather and Damage Control
One person’s clarity is another person’s confusion. One person’s
certainty is another person’s falsehood. Recognizing others’ perceptions
is the most important aspect of effective communication. As the old saying goes,
seek first to understand then to be understood.
As I reflect on the career of Dan Rather at CBS News and his infamous 60 Minutes
report on the President’s National Guard service, I draw the following lesson.
After the legitimacy of the sources behind the Sept 8, 2004, report were called into
question, CBS News and Mr. Rather committed a crucial public relations and judgment
mistake: They immediately went on the offensive to defend their story, before they
were certain their story had been correct.
They refused to admit the mistake - or even the possibility of a mistake - for 12
excruciating days while conducting a public relations offensive to defend their actions. “Those
who have criticized aspects of our story have never criticized the heart of it,” claimed
Mr. Rather soon after the documents were questioned. Not exactly the response you
expect from a leading news organization under fire for reporting an incorrect story.
The job of Mr. Rather and the CBS News organization is to report the news. But by
taking the approach they did, they vastly misread their audience, public perception,
and their role. They made CBS part of the news, rather than a reporter of it.
Let me be clear about a few things. I am not making commentary on the facts of the
President’s National Guard record or conservative accusations of a liberal
bias at CBS News. Those discussions are for other writers. I am commenting on a public
relations strategy by CBS News that was ill-conceived at best, and arrogant at worst.
Responding to public attacks on one’s actions requires the same cautious PR
approach as delivering bad news to customers or investors or employees - announce
you are checking your facts, and then when you are certain you know the answer, speak
plainly and honestly. If you must admit fault, don’t hesitate, don’t
shift blame, don’t justify, don’t rationalize, and by all means, don’t
attack anyone else. Take the blame, answer questions, and try to put it behind you.
When attacked about the accuracy of the letters and the report, the more appropriate
response from CBS would have been to say little while checking their sources. Then
when they realized a mistake had been made, admit it and move on. Instead, the network
publicly pointed fingers without accepting blame during the entire 12-day period.
In the main article of this month’s Beacon, I discuss the importance
of understanding the differences in audience depending on the professional situation.
The example of Mr. Rather represents, among other things, a great demonstration of
an individual who put his need to be understood ahead of the need to understand.
He was arguably more concerned with having the last word than with being correct.
And in any audience interaction, such an approach is a professional death sentence.
In the end, and in the opinion of this writer, Mr. Rather essentially got his wish
and spoke the last words on the matter... “On March 9, 2005, I will step down
as anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News...”
 Beacon Issue -
May 2005
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