DAN RATHER: DON’T ALLOW POLITICIANS TO APPROVE QUOTES

Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather has lashed out at deals in which politicians and other public figures agree to interviews on condition that the questions are submitted in advance and that they can approve the quotes before they are published. The practice came to light in a New York Times article last Monday, which quoted Dean Bacquet, the Times’ s own managing editor for news, as saying, “We don’t like the practice. We encourage our reporters to push back. Unfortunately this practice is becoming increasingly common, and maybe we have to push back harder.” Now, in a commentary posted on the CNN website, Rather calls the practice “a jaw-dropping turn in journalism” and “a Faustian bargain.” He maintains: “It is for the benefit of the politicians, at the expense of readers, listeners and viewers. It is not in the public interest; it is designed to further the candidates’ interests. Political operatives cannot be blamed for wanting this. We, the press, should be held accountable for letting them have it.”