Dan Rather

He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.

In 1975, as America faced social and political upheaval, filmmakers turned chaos into art.

A cheap, powerful drug emerges during a recession, igniting a moral panic fueled by racism. Explore the complex history of crack in the 1980s.

Poet Layli Long Soldier crafts a searing portrait of her Oyate’s connection to the Black Hills, through first contact and broken treaties to the promise of the Land Back movement, in this lyrical testament to resilience of a nation.

In 1972, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan became the first Southern Black woman to join Congress, one of many firsts in her career as a trailblazing political leader. Looking at her life both in and out of the limelight, this insightful documentary explores how her voice still resonates today.

Discover the untold story of Norwood Assembly, where legendary cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird Trans Am were born. Through the voices of the people who built them, this documentary celebrates innovation, perseverance, and American manufacturing. Featuring exclusive interviews with Jay Leno and Burt Reynolds and rare never-before-seen footage, this compelling documentary uncovers the remarkable story of one of America's most influential factories and celebrates American automotive manufacturing in its heyday.

A short film tribute about the musician Meat Loaf, released by his family in 2023 on the anniversary of his death.

For decades, Dan Rather delivered the news with authenticity, integrity and courage. RATHER chronicles his rise to prominence, sudden and dramatic public downfall, and redemption and re-emergence as a voice of reason to a new generation.

The inside story of Biden’s rise to the presidency, and the personal and political forces that shaped him and led to his dramatic decision to step aside.

In these perilous times for American journalism comes a story of truth telling in service to democracy. Tiananmen Tonight reveals the powerful human drama of Dan Rather and the CBS Evening News team battling for life and reputation while courageously reporting the extraordinary student uprising in 1989 that brought China to the brink of democratic reform.

For over half a century, 60 Minutes' fearsome newsman Mike Wallace went head-to-head with the world's most influential figures. Relying exclusively on archival footage, the film interrogates the interrogator, tracking Wallace's storied career and troubled personal life while unpacking how broadcast journalism evolved to today’s precarious tipping point.

All About Ann celebrates the achievements of larger-than-life Ann Richards, who became the first elected female governor of Texas. Her cool demeanor, acid wit, and passion for social inclusivity made her one of the most powerful and progressive governors in U.S. history, a liberal democrat intent on building “the new Texas.” But, when the 1994 election begins, Richards is faced with her toughest challenge yet, as an increasingly conservative majority turn towards a new, pro-business candidate: George W. Bush.

Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice! is a documentary special that examined the "cultural phenomenon" of the American animated television series The Simpsons.

Throughout the 1950s, Tab Hunter reigned as Hollywood’s ultimate male heartthrob. But throughout his years of stardom, Tab had a secret. Tab Hunter was gay, and spent his Hollywood years in a precarious closet that repeatedly threatened to implode and destroy him. Tab Hunter himself shares first hand, for the first time, what it was like to be a studio manufactured movie star during the Golden Age of Hollywood and the consequences of being someone totally different from his studio manufactured image.

What we know today about many famous musicians, politicians, and actresses is due to the famous work of photographer Harry Benson. He captured vibrant and intimate photos of the most famous band in history;The Beatles. His extensive portfolio grew to include iconic photos of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, and Dr. Martin Luther King. His wide-ranging work has appeared in publications including Life, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Benson, now 86, is still taking photos and has no intentions of stopping.

50 years after the legendary fest, Barak Goodman’s electric retelling of Woodstock, from the point of view of those who were on the ground, evokes the freedom, passion, community, and joy the three-day music festival created.

From 1971 to 1973, Richard Nixon secretly recorded his private conversations in the White House. This film chronicles the content of those tapes, which include Nixon's conversations on the war in Vietnam, the Pentagon Papers leak, his Supreme Court appointments, and more--while also exposing shocking statements he made about women, people of color, Jews, and the media.

This film investigates how the media has reported war, from the First World War to the present day.

Produced by multiple EMMY® Award-winning executive producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman (HBO’s John Adams and The Pacific), and EMMY® Award-winning producer Mark Herzog (History’s Gettysburg) of Herzog & Company (HCO), on Thursday, Nov. 14, CNN will premiere The Assassination of President Kennedy at 9:00pm ET and PT. The two-hour film explores the events on the day that changed the nation – and the world, as well as how the public’s perceptions of what happened that day have changed through the years.

Despite decades of opposition from the right, and recent personal setbacks, Gloria Steinem remains one of the most outspoken and visible symbols of the women’s movement today. This film blends interviews of Steinem in her Manhattan apartment, archival footage, photographs from throughout her life and clips from press interviews over the years.

Molly Ivins was six feet of flame-haired Texas trouble. She was a prescient political journalist, best-selling author, and Bill of Rights warrior. She took no prisoners, leaving both sides of the aisle laughing and craving more of her razor-sharp wit. It's time to raise hell like Molly!

In the fall of 1962, a dramatic series of events made Civil Rights history and changed a way of life. On the eve of James Meredith becoming the first African-American to attend class at the University of Mississippi, the campus erupted into a night of rioting between those opposed to the integration of the school and those trying to enforce it. Before the rioting ended, the National Guard and Federal troops were called in to put an end to the violence and enforce Meredith's rights as an American citizen.

"Traficant: The Congressman of Crimetown" is a documentary examining the rise and fall of Ohio congressman Jim Traficant, a populist political figure whose confrontational style and local support contrasted with his eventual conviction on federal corruption charges.

Historians, veterans, politicians, and anti-war leaders discuss the history of the military draft in the United States through the Vietnam War, and examine the consequences of its replacement with an all-volunteer professional force currently comprising less than one-half of one percent of the population.

A special recounting the riveting story of the reporting from Dallas and the New York CBS Newsroom from the moment President Kennedy was shot until Cronkite's emotional pronouncement of his death at 1:00 p.m. CST. The program features moving memories from the producers, writers and reporters who were there on the day.

The story of Vince Lombardi's 1969 Washington Redskins, the only season he coached for the team before he died of cancer just prior to the 1970 season.

This Shiver (ITV Studios) documentary reveals what happened behind-the-scenes on some of the most momentous breaking news events in our lifetime - as told by those caught up in the real-life drama, those in the newsrooms and those responsible for delivering these newsflashes into millions of people's homes. News stories covered include the death of Diana, Princess of Wales (1997); the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas (1963); the coal-tip landslide in Aberfan (1966); the Lockerbie Air Disaster (1988); the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York (2001); the start of Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War (1991); the dramatic end of the Iranian Embassy siege in London (1980); and the announcement of the death of the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (2002).

A Texas congressman sets a series of events in motion when he conspires with a CIA operative to aid Afghan mujahideen rebels fighting the Soviets.

Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Kirby Dick's provocative documentary investigates the secretive and inconsistent process by which the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rates films, revealing the organization's underhanded efforts to control culture. Dick questions whether certain studios get preferential treatment and exposes the discrepancies in how the MPAA views sex and violence.

The special focuses on how Star Wars is relevant today and the history that inspired it, and also makes various connections to Greek mythology. It consists of several interviews with well-known politicians, journalists, and critics, along with historical content and clips from all six of the Star Wars movies.

"The Most Dangerous Man in America" is the story of what happens when a former Pentagon insider, armed only with his conscience, steadfast determination, and a file cabinet full of classified documents, decides to challenge an "imperial" presidency – answerable to neither Congress, the press, nor the people – in order to help end the Vietnam War.

Looking back over 40 years television and print journalists recall their stories and memories of reporting the murder of President Kennedy and how it changed the country and changed the way the public gets it's news.

In this documentary, filmmakers Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand (Blue Vinyl) follow a troupe of self-proclaimed global warming "warriors" on a mission to get the world to care about rising temperatures and melting polar ice caps. Taking a topic that's inherently serious and applying their signature blend of humor and emotional heft, Gold and Helfand advance the environmental dialogue in a surprisingly entertaining way.

There were two wars in Iraq--a military assault and a media war. The former was well-covered; the latter was not. Until now... Independent filmmaker, Emmy-award winningTV journalist, author and media critic, Danny Schechter turns the cameras on the role of the media. His new film, WMD, is an outspoken assessment of how Pentagon propaganda and media complicity misled the American people...

A teenager who has spent a year of his life campaigning for Barack Obama makes his way to Denver to hear the former Presidential candidate accept his nomination.

The Man in Black returns to his roots in this documentary hosted by Dan Rather, featuring rare photos, performance clips and conversations with Marshall Grant, June Carter Cash and others, who discuss Johnny Cash's origins as a gospel singer.

Around the world, journalists are increasingly being killed. They die in the crossfire. They die at the hand of criminals and corrupt governments. They die in tragic accidents. These are some of their stories.

Barbecue is a religion in Texas, and this droll documentary takes a look at some of the colorful characters who live and die for this culinary art. Narrated by former Gov. Ann Richards, the film covers everything from the Church of the Holy BBQ and the Great Texas Mosquito Festival to a zealous group of University of Texas students who lead "barbecue missions." Interviews with Dan Rather, Kinky Friedman and other famous Texans are included.

In 2002, CBS News published a book titled, "What We Saw: The Events of September 11, 2001 -- in Words, Pictures, and Video." The book came with this two-hour documentary about the terrorist attacks that day.

The story of Peter Allen, Australia's beloved variety entertainer and songwriter. As one of the first openly gay entertainers, Allen won a unique stardom with a mainstream public which loved him for his honesty.

CBS News looks at Malcolm X, focusing on his public life from 1959 to his assassination in 1965, suggesting that his death was a great loss to the nation. The film intercuts archival footage of Malcolm and interviews with family, friends, colleagues, scholars, and writers. CBS documents Malcolm's move from being Elijah Muhammad's deputy in the Nation of Islam to his embrace of Islam: his new links with the civil rights movement posed a real threat to the powers that be. CBS details his death after secret FBI acts to increase the rift between Muhammad and Malcolm. Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, and Andrew Young offer trenchant comments. "He was our manhood," eulogized Ossie Davis.

The video debut of experimental musicians and culture jamming artists Emergency Broadcast Network.

The enigmatic nature of the Nixon presidency combined comparatively progressive legislative initiatives with a flagrant abuse of presidential power and the public trust. His achievements in expanding peaceful relations with China and the Soviet Union stand in stark contrast with his continuation of the war in Vietnam. Finally brought down by scandal and duplicity, his administration did much to erode the citizenry's faith in government.

A documentary about the closure of General Motors' plant at Flint, Michigan, which resulted in the loss of 30,000 jobs. Details the attempts of filmmaker Michael Moore to get an interview with GM CEO Roger Smith.

An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.

In September 1986, "48 Hours on Crack Street" provided a glimpse into America's drug crisis. Executive producer Lane Venardos and head of special unit Joan Richman dispatched eighteen camera crews and twenty-five producers to follow ten correspondent around, including Bernard Goldberg in Greenwich Village, Diane Sawyer in Livingston, N.J, Dan Rather in Brooklyn, and Bob Schieffer in New Jersey, as well as Ed Bradley, David Martin, Bill Moyers, and Richard Roth. They filmed and interviewed pushers, buyers, and victims, ranging from high school girls to Wall Street brokers.

The video revolution and its impact on both the public and the family.