truth

I see a screening tonight of  TRUTH, an entirely absorbing new movie about the 2004 60 Minutes debacle involving a story on Bush's military service. The end result is Dan Rather resigning his post as anchor of CBS News and Mary Mapes (his producer) being fired, along with several others.

What I find most intriguing about the film is the fallout that results from a mistake (albeit a big one) — and the proverbial shoving under the bus to save one's own career that follows. 

Politics can so easily obscure facts. That's not to say Mary wasn't at fault. It's just that the consequences of her errors seem to outweigh the severity of her offense. At least in my opinion.

Many years ago I worked at a major television company. I reported to a guy who, although nice, knew nothing about marketing. He was a sales guy to the core. And his boss was a buffoon. He had only one strength —  he was smart enough to surround himself with very talented people. I'll call the boss Paul.  

One day, a month or two after I started, my immediate boss was out of town and I had lunch with Paul. I suggested I report directly to him. I presented strong business reasons for why I believed in this change of structure. Paul was cordial; said he'd think about it; then told my boss (which was fine with me). I'm pretty sure that's when Paul decided to fire me for my disloyalty. It took him almost two years to get the job done.  

I loved what I did. I loved the network I worked for. And I loved the people in my division. But Paul made my life miserable. He dismantled my staff. Undermined my work. Made ridiculous, unproductive demands. And was always quick to criticize while never giving praise.

During that same time, my immediate boss moved to another area, and I reported to someone I'll call Greg. I liked Greg. He was young, smart, fun and decisive. 

Greg and I had a good relationship from the start. His wife and I had even shared the same obstetrician.  But when it came to firing me, Greg, without apparent discomfort, played Paul's henchman. I remember the day vividly.

Greg scheduled a meeting with me the night before. I was supposed to fly to Washington, but Greg made some excuse as to why I was needed in NY. I went to the meeting and saw someone there from HR. I knew immediately what would happen next. But I naively thought that Greg would say something like, "I am so sorry. This wasn't my idea."  But he didn't. I left as much disappointed and hurt by Greg's betrayal, as I was at losing my job.

A year or two later, Paul's ineffectiveness was discovered and he was let go; today if I Google him I can't even find him. Greg left for a much bigger job. Today he has a major position at a more powerful network. Greg has always been a master at corporate politics — something I've never been very good at.

So watching this movie resonates with me. I am not comparing my history with the accomplished Dan Rather or Mary Mapes. But I've experienced derailment, and once it starts, it's really hard to stop it. And the truth — whatever it is — too often gets buried.