Ivy Wants Rather

Harvard University which unceremoniously dumped their President Lawrence Summers is interested in offering disgraced former CBS News anchor Dan Rather a fellowship to teach according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Rather would become a fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy which is run by Alex Jones.

Jones told the Inquirer that “I’d love to have him come here for a semester or full year on campus,” and that “Dan Rather has all the credentials, as far as I’m concerned.” As for what Rather would do besides teaching Jones told the paper that he would do some “serious reporting research on the evolution of TV news – where it’s going, where it’s been, what’s up.”

I suggest that Rather teach a course on media ethics, since he apparently has none to help students avoid his mistakes or investigative journalism and the importance of checking facts and verifying the credibility of sources. Maybe that would humble him a bit. Probably not.

After Rather’s fall from grace the idea of him teaching at Harvard is both laughable and yet not totally unexpected. It is outrageous that they would give him a platform considering how Rather’s career ended but it is the politically correct nature of academia that allows this type of action to take place.

In some ways I hope he gets the fellowship. Especially if it prevents him from starting a television show on Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s HDNet television network which reaches a measly 3 million homes. Plus I am not too anxious to see Dan in full glory on HD television.

Don Irvine is the chairman of Accuracy in Media, Accuracy in Academia’s parent organization.