CBS Refuses to Air 'Truth' Ads, Calls Dan Rather Scandal Pic 'Disservice' to Journalism

CBS has declined to air advertising for the new movie "Truth," the new Sony flick that details the network's infamous Dan Rather-George W. Bush scandal, calling the film "a disservice" to both journalists and the public.

In a scathing statement about the film, which stars Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett, CBS spokesman Gil Schwartz said, "It's astounding how little truth there is in 'Truth.'"

"There are, in fact, too many distortions, evasions and baseless conspiracy theories to enumerate them all," Schwartz's statement continued. "The film tries to turn gross errors of journalism and judgment into acts of heroism and martyrdom. That's a disservice not just to the public but to journalists across the world who go out every day and do everything within their power, sometimes at great risk to themselves, to get the story right."

"Truth" goes behind the scenes of a "60 Minutes II" story reported by Rather (Redford) and produced by Mary Mapes (Blanchett), which questioned then-president Bush's Vietnam War-era service in the Texas Air National Guard. There was public outcry about the segment's accuracy, however, when the veracity of certain documents used to support the story was challenged. In the fallout, Mapes was fired, and Rather parted ways with the network on poor terms in 2006; Rather has maintained that there was underlying truth to the segment.

Both Rather and Mapes are portrayed somewhat sympathetically in the movie, which could be the source of CBS's ire. The resulting scandal -- and subsequent firings -- at the network was embarrassing for all involved, and the Eye is no doubt unhappy that the story is surfacing yet again.

"To get an official statement from them that is negative was not surprising to anyone involved in the film," said Brad Fischer, a "Truth" producer, about the network's response. "I think the one thing that surprised everyone was the tone and the emotional nature."

And the move may backfire for the network: According to Forbes, publicly denouncing the flick could actually help promote "Truth" -- and make sure more people see it, the opposite of what CBS intended.

"A film that will mostly be forgotten in a few months time is now much bigger news than it was 48 hours ago," the site reports.

[via: Associated Press, Forbes]

Photo credit: Sony



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