He didn’t say it just once.
Former CBS news anchor and war correspondent Dan Rather, 87, referenced the St. Joseph’s College motto, Esse non videri: “To be, not to seem,” several times while presenting his latest book during Tuesday’s Brooklyn Voices event at SJC Brooklyn.
Dan Rather and Katy Tur.
The famed American journalist suggested that the country should take greater efforts to listen to the St. Joseph’s motto to improve society.
“When it comes down to it — what we need to start doing is listening to one another,” Rather told a Tuohy audience of about 100.
Rather, who still works as a journalist and has his own production company, presented his 2017 book “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism.” Recently released in paperback, the book features a collection of original essays that take aim at what it means to be an American. Rather — who has interviewed U.S. presidents dating back to the 1950s when Dwight D. Eisenhower occupied the Oval Office — covers such topics in his book as patriotism, the environment and his experiences covering civil and LGBTQ rights.
Dan Rather, left, and SJC Brooklyn Security Director Mike McGrann.
Author and MSNBC on-air journalist Katy Tur joined Rather on stage, interviewing him about his book, during the season’s first session of Brooklyn Voices — a literary series sponsored by SJC Brooklyn and Greenlight Bookstore.
Tur shared that said she grew up listening to Rather deliver the news nightly on television. Throughout the event, much of the audience sat at the edge of their seats listening to the veteran journalist discuss American society and the state of today’s media.
During the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to ask Rather questions. The questions ranged from questions about his reporting to how journalists cover elections and tips for consuming media in a nonstop news cycle.
