Jim Walsh is a humor columnist for the Cherry Hill Courier Post in New Jersey. For a humor columnist, he showed more guts and journalistic integrity than the vast majority of those who claim to be journalists. Here is the story in Walsh’s own words.

Here's the scene: Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather is in Cherry Hill, giving a speech about the need for journalists to do better. "What's gone out of fashion is the tough question and the follow-up," he tells an admiring audience of about 600 people at Cherry Hill's Star Forum.

So how can I, the guy covering Rather's remarks, just sit there? When he finishes, I hurry to a floor mike to ask Rather about an issue that will be part of my story. "Mr. Rather," I say. "Great suggestions. But you left the anchor desk last year after your report questioning President Bush's military service was discredited. Key memos could not be authenticated. Do you think the failure to ask questions then affects your credibility now?"

Rather responds with civility -- if not clarity. He notes, in part, that an independent review "couldn't determine whether the documents were authentic or not."

Eager to please, I follow up: "The Courier-Post won't run something if we're not sure it's authentic. Are you saying it's OK . . ."

But my microphone goes dead -- and the audience stirs to life. Some people jeer. Others glare and scowl (I can now distinguish between the two). This continues outside as I call in my story.

Having taken a few journalism classes at two major universities, I am not surprised by the treatment Walsh received. The most common political debate between journalism students that I found was a discussion about whether they should be honest and register as Democrats or if they should register as Independents to give the appearance of objectivity and then use this patina of objectivity to write is a way to encourage people to vote Democrat. The thought that any one of them might be conservative certainly did not cross their mind.

At any rate, I enjoyed the irony of Rather refusing to answer a follow-up question after he just advised journalists to ask such follow-ups. Kudos to Walsh and may he keep asking tough questions of Democrats, Republicans, and everyone else in power.

Email this entry to:


Your email address:


Message (optional):