In October 2015, Robert Redford played Dan Rather in the cinematic retelling of those phony 2004 memos about George W. Bush’s National Guard service during the Vietnam War. The movie was titled, paradoxically enough, Truth.
Here’s now interested the public was in Rather’s Truth:
Not very. Did the movie bomb so atrociously because Redford isn’t the box-office draw he used to be? Or was it because people saw the words “Dan Rather” and “truth” and just started laughing? Probably neither.
In any case, Rather’s ceaseless quest for the truth continues! He’s now teaching an online journalism course at Udemy called “Finding The Truth In the News,” and here’s a bit of the course description:
Whether you’re an avid consumer of the news or just beginning your journalism career, renowned news anchor Dan Rather shares his first-hand experiences to guide you through the 21st century state of journalism.
In this course, Dan teaches invaluable foundations on great writing, the essentials of telling a good story, and how to remain calm and captivating on camera — useful skills for anyone fascinated by the power of the news or anyone who wants to contribute to serious journalism. Dan’s rich history and extensive knowledge of journalism, paired with practical, hands-on exercises, creates a unique learning opportunity and rare insight from an American legend.
“Legend” seems a bit modest, doesn’t it? Try “icon”!
There’s also a terrific promotional video with Rather, looking back at all the U.S. presidents whose lives he touched: Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush– Oh, wait. Dubya isn’t in there. Weird! Wonder why not? That’s the president everybody thinks of whenever they hear Dan’s name.
Dan Rather’s lifetime of journalistic wisdom is priceless, of course. But for a limited time, you can get it for a song:
A free press isn’t free, but that’s pretty close! Go ahead, it’s your money. And it’ll help fund Dan’s ongoing search for Lucy Ramirez.
(Hat tip: Brian Maloney)