It’s been a long time coming: CBS’s Scott Pelley Loses a Fight Rigged in His Favor.
And since Dan Rather’s Rathergate implosion was a key mile marker pointing towards today’s result, note this Mediaite story from today: Dan Rather Rips His ‘Spineless’ Former Network for Refusing to Fact-Check During the VP Debate.
But only to fact check Vance, of course.
Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather tore into his former network on Tuesday for refusing to fact-check its first vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz.
In an article published to Substack, Rather predicted Vance would tell “more than one lie” during the debate, before adding, “Who’s going to fact check you? Well, apparently not CBS News.”
He continued:
Please allow me to pause here and say that I am always reluctant to criticize CBS News. I spent 45 years there. Loved every minute of it, even the worst times. I still pull for the important institution that it is, and for the many good people who work there.
With that as background, it is necessary to report and comment on the fact that CBS News has decided not to fact-check the candidates in real time. I would love to know what went into this decision, because it feels spineless, especially after ABC’s Linsey Davis and David Muir effectively and correctly fact-checked Trump during the debate with Kamala Harris.
Naturally, there is no mention of any aspect of RatherGate or why CBS is now Rather’s former network in the Mediaite piece.
UPDATE: So much for no “fact checking:” “And… they just cut Vance’s mic because he was fact-checking Margaret Brennan’s fact-check.”