Paul Gillin summarizes Dan Rather at SXSW thusly:

Rather said that journalism needs a “spine transplant,” a return to its role as an independent advocacy for truth and disclosure. The role of the journalist is as a watchdog, he said. A watchdog barks when it suspects danger but doesn’t lie down or attack. It’s a warning system that keeps those in power on their toes.

“Do we still believe that the documents of government belong to the people and not the people in power?” he asked. “The president is not a descendant of the Sun God. This person is elected by the people and part of what [journalists are] expected to do is check on them.”

Rather’s message was a welcome call for a return to the values of Edward R. Murrow, whose name he invoked twice. But I think the audience was interested in hearing more about social media. Rather’s own knowledge deficit in that area - he didn’t mention YouTube or podcasts once and appeared awkward using “Google” as a verb - was painfully evident. As someone whose CBS career was arguably brought down by bloggers in the Rathergate incident, you’d think he would have more to say. But the question about Rathergate, like so many others, never came up.

Of course the disgraced ex-CBS anchor had nothing to say about his (and Mary Mapes’ for that matter) plot to hand to the election to John Kerry. What’s he gonna say? “Yeah, I had a forged document on my newscast. Yes I defended it when it was proven by multiple sources to be false. Yes I weaseled out in the end by saying it may be fake but I believed it.”

His lack of knowledge on social media makes me wonder… What idiot signed him up to speak at a conference where social media is the hot topic of the day?

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