Dan Rather on Journalism & Finding the Truth in the News

Course details

Whether you're an avid consumer of the news or just beginning your journalism career, renowned news anchor Dan Rather shares his first-hand experiences to guide you through the 21st century state of journalism.

In this course, Dan teaches invaluable foundations on great writing, the essentials of telling a good story, and how to remain calm and captivating on camera — useful skills for anyone fascinated by the power of the news or anyone who wants to contribute to serious journalism. Dan's rich history and extensive knowledge of journalism, paired with practical, hands-on exercises, creates a unique learning opportunity and rare insight from an American legend.  

Dan believes that a truly free press is the beating heart of democracy and he has put this belief into practice with a career spanning over 60 years in the news industry and over 20 years as the CBS Nightly News anchor. Using stories and advice from the field, Dan peels back the curtain on what it takes to create and deliver impactful news and how this process has changed over time from the Civil Rights Movement to the 2016 election.

A leader in the industry to this day, Dan Rather explains how objective truth is in peril more than ever before. Moreover, he provides actions you can take now to help ensure that journalism continues to serve its key role in a well-functioning democracy.

Learn how the news is made from one of the most recognized names in journalism

• Understand the obstacles in the changing landscape of journalism and receive actionable advice for a successful journalism career

• Challenge the media you consume on a daily basis to find the truth and become a much more informed consumer

• Learn to hunt down and break stories that will impact both your career and the future of a free press

• Learn to write with the efficient elegance of a top journalist and tell beautiful, flowing stories that jump off the page

Contents and Overview

After an introduction to Dan Rather's background you'll dive into understanding the role of the free press and how that's been thoroughly altered by the involvement of corporate interests in the news business.

You'll examine the role that technology has played in changing how information is relayed to the public, both good and bad, and what that means for you.

Next, you'll look at the differences between networks who pursue real reporting versus those who seek out ratings and you'll learn how to discern between the two in what you consume and create.

You'll learn how the information we consume is controlled by only a few corporations and what that means for the state of a free press.

Next, Dan will share his first-hand experience of some of the biggest stories from the past 60 years, where his career and news coverage as a whole were changed by these events.

You'll dive into an exercise on how to write a broadcast piece around a critical news story from your life.

Dan will then help you dissect the essentials of a good interview and give you the tools of the trade for using interviews to enrich the stories you tell. He'll share stories from his own high profile interviews and what he learned.

At the base of every good story is good writing. You'll learn how to write well and understand the different ways to tell a story.

Next, you'll learn how to speak and present (both on camera and off) with hands-on exercises to continue improving.

Lastly, Dan gives you guidance on how to stay informed and shares some of the biggest lessons he's learned before signing off.