TOTAL BS!
Former CBS anchor promises to teach journalists how to spot suspicious documents — preferably before broadcasting them.
Veteran newsman Dan Rather is fighting back against declining journalistic standards by opening an institute dedicated to identifying fake documents, unreliable sources and inconvenient facts.
The announcement follows Rather’s blistering criticism of CBS News, where he recently declared that the wreckage of his former network was everywhere.
The Dan Rather Center for Document Authenticity and Journalistic Excellence will offer specialized training in recognizing forged documents, particularly those typed using software that didn’t exist when the documents were supposedly written.
The institute’s flagship course, Introduction to Advanced Verification, will teach reporters three essential skills: checking document authenticity, consulting independent experts and locating a more agreeable expert when the first one raises objections.
An advanced seminar, Defending the Story for Twelve Days, will train journalists to stand confidently behind questionable evidence while investigators determine whether it actually exists.
“Journalism isn’t just about whether something happened,” explained fictional institute spokesman Walter Remington III. “It’s about whether it should have happened, given the political circumstances.”
Students will also learn how to establish a document’s chain of custody, with special emphasis on the time-honored journalistic source known as “a guy who knows a guy.”
Graduates will receive diplomas printed on authentic 1972 office stationery, produced using Microsoft Word.
The institute’s grand opening is scheduled for November.
TOTAL BS is SATIRE! For the real story, READ: Dan Rather blasts CBS News in scathing interview.
Historical background: CBS News — Independent review of Rather’s 2004 Bush National Guard report. CBS failed to authenticate the disputed documents; investigators did not conclusively establish whether they were forged.
