Dan Rather, the former CBS News anchorman was in Los Angeles last night and again tonight. His program "Dan Rather Reports" on HDNet, the cable outlet owned by Mark Cuban, was in Southern California to cover the "Super Tuesday" presidential primaries. Rather’s program is set to broadcast from the campus of the University of Southern California, via an arrangement with the schools’ Annenberg School of Communications.
As a part of his visit to the university, an event Monday night called "A Conversation with Dan Rather" took place. Rather spoke with and took questions from USC students. ERS requested media access to the event but we were told by USC school press officials that the event was not open to the news media and that is was "student only." The event took place in an auditorium which seats in excess of 200 people. USC’s own on-campus newspaper the "Daily Trojan" and the schools on campus TV news operation "Annenberg News" were both allowed access to the event. The rest of the media were kept out.
When asked why the event was closed to the media, the only response given by USC press officials was this was a "student only" event. When asked if the closing of the event was at the request of Dan Rather or HDNet, a USC spokesperson told ERS News that it was the University’s decision. We were also told if Rather or HDNet made a request that news media be allowed to cover the event the University would certainly entertain those requests. ERS did so, but was denied access to the event.
ERS News sought comment from HDNet as to whether Rather or HDNet requested the event be closed to outside news media. A spokesperson for HDNet told ERS News that she was not familiar with the decision to bar media from covering the event. Since it was a USC event, ERS News was told we would have to talk to the school for a response to why news media were being barred from the event. One organizer and journalism professor at the school responded by email, "It’s meant to be a session with students…..and it’s overbooked at that. Why would you want to cover it?" The event was streamed live to the web via USC’s own web site.
Rather, is currently embroiled in a bitter 70-million dollar civil lawsuit against his former employer CBS News and others, including Viacom Chairman Summer Redstone, Les Moonves and former CBS News President Andrew Heyward. The lawsuit stems from the fallout of the story, done by Rather for the now defunct "60 Minutes II." Rather reported on the National Guard service of President Bush. The report, which utilized documents purported to be authentic, were later widely discredited and is widely credited with being the catalyst that cost Mr. Rather his job at CBS.
Award-winning broadcast journalist Dan Rather will broadcast his HDNet program, Dan Rather Reports, live from the USC Annenberg East Lobby as primary results come in from around the country on "Super Tuesday" on Feb. 5. The program will welcome a live viewing audience.
As part of the program, journalism professor Judy Muller will host a focus group discussion among USC students, providing commentary from a demographic expected to have an impact in this year’s presidential race.
