Dan Rather slams the media over Trump’s airstrikes: ‘War is not public relations’

Veteran journalist and newsman Dan Rather has a way of getting the conversation going via his Facebook page, and his latest critique on the institution where he made his name is getting quite a bit of attention.

In a post from this Friday, Rather spoke about the media’s reaction to President Trump launching airstrikes on a Syrian airbase in the wake of a horrific chemical attack, allegedly carried out by the Syrian government.

Clearly, the lead-up to the Iraq invasion in 2003 was on Rather’s mind, and the consequences of the cheerleading vibe that permeated the news at that time echoed in his post.

“There is a tendency to rally around the flag, and a President who takes on a war footing can see a boost of support. It is often transitory. There are arguments to be made that President Assad in Syria has crossed a line that demands U.S. military interference. Whether this should have been a unilateral action is something we all must consider. Whether President Trump has a plan for what comes next must be debated. Whether there is a coherence to this missile strike fitting into a larger foreign policy strategy is a question that should give us all pause.”

According to Rather, the press has to do its job and treat the recent developments with “healthy skepticism.”

“The number of members of the press who have lauded the actions last night as ‘presidential’ is concerning. … War must never be considered a public relations operation. It is not a way for an Administration to gain a narrative,” he continued. “It is a step into a dangerous unknown and its full impact is impossible to predict, especially in the immediate wake of the first strike.”

Read the full post here.

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Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.