Editing CBS Evening News (section)

===Dan Rather (1981–2005)===

====1981–1993====
[[File:Dan Rather and Ronald Reagan 1982.jpg|thumb|right|Rather (right) with President [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1982]]
Cronkite was replaced as anchor of the program the Monday after his retirement, March 9, 1981, by 49-year-old [[Dan Rather]],<ref name=crnksgnoff>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vkdOAAAAIBAJ&pg=1523%2C1525272 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=(North Carolina) |agency=Associated Press |title=Cronkite signs off as CBS anchorman for last time |date=March 7, 1981 |page=1A}}</ref> who had been with CBS News as a correspondent since the early 1960s, and later became a correspondent for the network's [[news magazine]], ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Concerns about excessive [[Liberalism in the United States|liberalism]] in the media were frequently leveled at Rather, the ''CBS Evening News'', CBS News, and CBS in general.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dan Rather: a pioneer and a lightning rod|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0309/p03s01-ussc.html|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date=March 9, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dropping the anchorman|url=http://www.economist.com/people/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3428729|newspaper=[[The Economist]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Dan Rather File|url=http://www.mediaresearch.org/profiles/rather/welcome.asp|work=[[Media Research Center]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325062704/http://www.mediaresearch.org/profiles/rather/welcome.asp|archive-date=March 25, 2012}}</ref> Some of these concerns dated from Rather's position as White House correspondent for the network's news division during the [[Richard Nixon#Presidency|Nixon administration]]. A shouting match with Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]] during an interview on live television in January 1988 related to the [[Iran–Contra affair]] did little to dispel those concerns.<ref name=srapquar>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8FpWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4933%2C5933735 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Bush quarrels with Rather about interview questions |date=January 26, 1988 |page=A2}}</ref><ref name=borivtko>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v5ZTAAAAIBAJ&pg=2116%2C3923285 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Bulletin) |agency=UPI |title=Bush over Rather in a video TKO |date=January 26, 1988 |page=A1}}</ref> Rather unapologetically defended<!--apologized for? no --> his behavior in statements the following day,<ref name=regunapol>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HeAhAAAAIBAJ&pg=3488%2C4432597 |work=Reading Eagle |location=(Pennsylvania) |agency=Associated Press |title=Rather unapologetic in Bush flap |date=January 27, 1988 |page=9}}</ref><ref name=nashtel>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FOslAAAAIBAJ&pg=4676%2C7508225 |work=Nashua Telegraph |location=(New Hampshire) |agency=Associated Press |last=Baker |first=Kathryn |title=Rather unapologetic; Bush holds no grudge |date=January 27, 1988|page=1}}</ref><ref name=bsbgirqu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JtlOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6862%2C3706016 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=(North Carolina) |agency=''New York Times'' News Service |title=Bush scores big in Rather quarrel |date=January 27, 1988 |page=4A}}</ref><ref name=bbrfc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0NszAAAAIBAJ&pg=6284%2C5471861 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=news services |title=Buoyant Bush 'ready for combat' |date=January 27, 1988 |page=1A}}</ref> and Bush went on to win the [[1988 United States presidential election|presidential election]] in&nbsp;November.

Earlier, on September 1, 1986, amid a brewing battle among CBS's [[board of directors]] for control of the company and turmoil at CBS News, Rather closed his Monday broadcast with the word "courage", and repeating it the following night. On September 3,<!--1986,--> Rather said the masculine noun for the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word for "courage", ''coraje'' (the primary translation for "courage" in Spanish is ''valor''). In the face of media attention and pleas from his staff, Rather abandoned the signoff on September 8.<ref>{{cite book|title=Who Killed CBS? The Undoing of America's Number One News Network|pages=304–06|author=Peter J. Boyer|publisher=[[Random House]]|location=[[New York City]]|year=1988<!-- year and ISBN#?? -->}}</ref>

On September 11, 1987, Rather marched off camera in anger just before a remote broadcast of the program when it appeared that [[CBS Sports]]' coverage of a [[1987 US Open (tennis)|U.S. Open tennis]] semifinal match between [[Steffi Graf]] and [[Lori McNeil]] was going to run over into time allotted for the newscast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rather Walked Off Set of CBS News|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/13/nyregion/rather-walked-off-set-of-cbs-news.html?pagewanted=all|author=Peter J. Boyer|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 13, 1987}}</ref> Rather was in [[Miami]] covering the [[List of pastoral visits of Pope John Paul II|visit to the city]] by [[Pope John Paul II]]. When the tennis match ended sooner than expected at 6:32&nbsp;pm Eastern, Rather was nowhere to be found, and six minutes of dead air followed before he returned to the broadcast position;<ref name=mrwoset>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HTpOAAAAIBAJ&pg=5791%2C5062262 |work=Sunday Star-News |location=(Wilmington, North Carolina) |agency=''New York Times'' News Service |title=Mad Rather walks off set at CBS |date=September 13, 1987 |page=2A}}</ref> nearly half of the audience watched and waited. Rather attempted to explain his actions with a statement release on Sunday<!--apologized for the outburst the next day-->,<ref name=netswot>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TeZVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5777%2C3254634 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Tennis nets a walkout by Rather |date=September 14, 1987 |page=9A}}</ref> but made no mention of it on his next newscast on Monday, delayed by the men's final.<ref name=scirst>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HzpOAAAAIBAJ&pg=4968%2C6426291 |work=Wilmington Morning Star |location=(North Carolina) |agency=news services |title=Sports cuts in; Rather stays |date=September 15, 1987 |page=2A}}</ref> By 1990, the ''CBS Evening News'' had fallen to third place in the ratings, behind ABC's ''World News Tonight with [[Peter Jennings]]'' and ''[[NBC Nightly News]] with [[Tom Brokaw]]''.<ref name="museumcbs"/>

On January 22, 1991, demonstrators from the [[ACT UP|AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power]] (ACT UP) broke into the CBS News studio and chanted "Fight [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]], not [[Gulf War|Arabs]]" during the show's introduction. One protester was seen on camera just as Rather began speaking. Rather immediately called for a commercial break, but the screen went black instead for six seconds before returning to Rather. He apologized twice to viewers about the incident.<ref>{{Cite news|title= AIDS Protesters Enter Sets of 2 Newscasts|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/23/arts/aids-protesters-enter-sets-of-2-newscasts.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 23, 1991|access-date=January 16, 2009}}</ref>

====Connie Chung as co-anchor (1993–1995)====
On May 31, 1993, CBS News correspondent [[Connie Chung]] began co-anchoring the broadcast with Rather. Chung normally co-anchored in the studio with Rather, but sometimes one of them appeared on location, while the other remained in the studio. Though Rather never said so publicly, CBS News insiders said he did not approve of her appointment.<ref>''[[MediaWeek]]'' article from April 26, 1997 {{Full citation needed|date=November 2012}}</ref> Chung's last broadcast as co-anchor was on May 19, 1995.

====1995–2005====
The newscast returned to a solo anchor format on May 22, 1995, with Dan Rather continuing in his role as anchor. At age 73, Rather retired from the ''Evening News'' on March 9, 2005, exactly 24 years after succeeding Cronkite.

Rather left the anchor position amid controversy and a credibility crisis over reports broadcast during the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential election]] campaign. The report was a segment featured on a September 2004 broadcast of ''[[60 Minutes II|60 Minutes Wednesday]]'', questioning President [[George W. Bush]]'s [[Texas Air National Guard]] record.<ref name="rather statement">{{cite news|title= Dan Rather Statement On Memos|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dan-rather-statement-on-memos/|work=CBS News|date=September 20, 2005|access-date=March 20, 2006}}</ref><ref name="CBS statement on panel">{{cite news|title=CBS Names Memo Probe Panel|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-names-memo-probe-panel/|work=CBS News|date=September 22, 2004|access-date=March 20, 2006}}</ref> Conservative activists challenged the authenticity of the [[Killian documents controversy|documents]] used for the report. A number of bloggers analyzed scans of the documents, and rapidly concluded they were forgeries. Subsequently, CBS commissioned an independent inquiry into the matter and several CBS staffers were fired or asked to resign.

After departing from the ''Evening News'', Rather remained with CBS News as a correspondent. On June 20, 2006, CBS News President [[Sean McManus (television executive)|Sean McManus]] announced that Rather and CBS had agreed to end his 44-year career with the network.<ref>{{cite news|title=Moving Ahead, Rather Throws Sad Look Back |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/17/business/media/17rath.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 17, 2006|access-date=August 31, 2013}}</ref>