Less that one hour following the CBS News announcement finally disclaiming the veracity of the alleged George W. Bush National Guard memos, one could almost hear computers all over the country firing up Photoshop and starting to spit out the satire that will fill inboxes and keep people laughing for weeks, all at the expense of the once mighty newsman Dan Rather.

What Dan Rather and the CBS News brass have done over the last two weeks is nothing less than classic corporate foot-dragging and stonewalling worthy of any Enron out there. Delay, deny, defend, justify, rationalize, mince words and parse sentences. Wrong-thinking corporate leaders have been handling crises this way for decade after decade, despite corporate communications counsel to the contrary. Ultimately, the day dawns when somebody somewhere pokes a sizable hole in the bubble, and the credibility flows out like rushing air, with a noticeably impolite noise and odor.

Rather and the ‘One Bad Apple’ Effect

As a good friend and well-placed media consultant once told me, when a crisis looms, sooner or later you will write the check. The currency may be cash or credibility, but with either one, the longer you wait to make payment, the larger the sum will be. It now appears that Mr. Rather may be making payment in both currencies. And his actions, like those of Enron, besmirch everyone in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, easily influenced audiences nationwide will conclude that Rather's actions reflect the thinking and tactics of news media representatives everywhere.

I make no pretense about knowing Dan Rather's politics. I have some suspicions, based on observation over the years, but whatever his reasons for conducting himself as he has over the past few weeks, they are beside the point. What is on point is that Dan Rather has long led the pack of journalists kicking and screaming when corporate scandal was in the wind. Secret deals, lies and cover ups. Scandals and dirty laundry. Dan and others like him made it their solemn duty to sniff them out and present them to the world. Now, the lights and cameras of a news media feeding frenzy are on Dan, but not in the total-control environment of a closed news studio. Instead, Rather faces the camera, sans makeup, while heading to his car, just as the corporate bad boys have done.

The Real Take Away

But corporate leaders take note; the real lesson from Dan's situation isn't about retribution. It's not about turning the tables and ladling out the same sauce for goose and gander. If we are to learn anything from Dan's apparently imminent demise, we have to study the actions and behaviors that led to it, then come to some new conclusions about the right and wrong ways to handle things when, for whatever reasons, our actions suddenly balloon into crisis.

Early in my corporate communications career I observed a strange phenomenon among highly placed, powerful corporate executives. It was a syndrome consisting of numerous patterns of behavior that all added up to the same conclusion: "We're big enough that we don't have to care!"

Nobody is that big. No corporation. Not even a news media network giant.

We’ve Had Our Say; Now You Have Yours

Often, Interviewing readers like to respond to our views. We can think of no better a time than now, in reaction to what’s been tagged “Rathergate.” Feelings are strong. Opinions are flying like bullets through cyberspace. We have some very intelligent readers. We want to plug into your thoughts.

Is this the ignominious end to a long and storied career? Should Dan go? What about his producer, Mary Mapes? And, CBS News president Andrew Hayward? How is this latest journalism crisis affecting attitudes about the news media in your organization?

Take the time to write us your thoughts. We’ll select representative responses and share them with our subscribers, many of whom are members of the news media. Your thoughts and feelings will be important feedback for them, as well as your colleagues on the other side of the communications spectrum.