Dan Rather left the main anchor chair at CBS News on
Wednesday, succeeded at least for the time being by another longtime
member of the Tiffany network's news team, chief Washington
correspondent Bob Schieffer. Like the recent transition from Tom Brokaw
to Brian Williams at NBC, each took time out at the end of the
half-hour broadcast to discuss the change in their own words.
 "We've shared a lot in the 24 years we've been meeting
here each evening," Rather said in his farewell
at the end of Wednesday's broadcast before a round of applause by
assembled CBS staffers,
"and before I say good night this night, I need to say thank you. Thank
you to the thousands of wonderful professionals at CBS News, past and
present, with whom it's been my honor to work over these years. And a
deeply felt thanks to all of you who have let us into your homes night
after night. It has been a privilege, and one never taken lightly. Not
long after I first came to the anchor chair, I briefly signed off using
the word 'courage.' I want to return to it now in a different way. To a
nation still nursing a broken heart for what happened here in 2001, and
especially to those who found themselves closest to the events of
September 11th; to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in
dangerous places; to those who have endured the tsunami and to all who
have suffered natural disasters and must now find the will to rebuild;
to the oppressed and to those whose lot it is to struggle in financial
hardship or in failing health; to my fellow journalists in places where
reporting the truth means risking all; and to each of you, courage. For
the CBS Evening News, Dan Rather reporting. Good night."
"Only a very few people have held this job, among them Walter Cronkite,
who was my hero when I was a young reporter," said Schieffer at the end
of Thursday's broadcast, "and Dan Rather, my friend for 40 years. It's
an honor to be asked to follow them. Dan will be remembered for the
remarkable body of work he's compiled over four decades, but I'll
remember him for his love of the news, and the fierce determination and
courage to go wherever the news was breaking. I wish him the very best.
This is a daunting assignment, but I accept it because we have a proud
tradition here and a terrific news team. My friend, the great Watergate
reporter Bob Woodward, was asked the other day what his mindset was
when he and his partner Carl Bernstein embarked on covering that
important story. Woodward said, 'We didn't have an agenda and we didn't
know how it would end. We were just trying to find out what happened.'
That's what we'll try to do: find out what happened and tell you about
it in clear and concise language. If we do that, and do it well, you'll
take it from there. I'm not exactly a new face. Many of you have known
and trusted me over the years. I take that as a high compliment, and I
promise you this: I'll never take that trust for granted. That's the
news. I'm Bob Schieffer. See you here tomorrow."
|
