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Brian Williams Admits to Telling False Story


NYNewser_676

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I would like to bring this thread back to meaningful discussion, so this will be my last point on this issue, but you cannot claim to be anything but "anti-Brian Williams" when you post something like this: "I look back at Brian Williams, and I don't think he was in the same class as Brokaw, Brinkley, Chancellor. I don't want to be crass, but I wonder what NBC execs were on when he was at WCBS. What made him so special for the NBC people to be gawking at the Channel 2 monitor to then capture him and then raise the pedestal to then 22 years later get knocked off, when he should've been gone decades ago."

 

And in addition, you have not "praised," or even accepted, any other viewpoints on this thread about the issue at hand, in fact, as B2r4a6n pointed out, you referred to everyone who has not called for Williams' annihilation as "naive." I would suggest considering other people's viewpoints- there are often meaningful things to be said.

 

EDIT: I apologize B2r4a6n, I reitierated most of your points- I'm typing on my iPhone and didn't see your most recent posts until after I submitted.

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I would like to bring this thread back to meaningful discussion, so this will be my last point on this issue, but you cannot claim to be anything but "anti-Brian Williams" when you post something like this: "I look back at Brian Williams, and I don't think he was in the same class as Brokaw, Brinkley, Chancellor. I don't want to be crass, but I wonder what NBC execs were on when he was at WCBS. What made him so special for the NBC people to be gawking at the Channel 2 monitor to then capture him and then raise the pedestal to then 22 years later get knocked off, when he should've been gone decades ago."

And in addition, you have not "praised," or even accepted, any other viewpoints on this thread about the issue at hand, in fact, as B2r4a6n pointed out, you referred to everyone who has not called for Williams' annihilation as "naive." I would suggest considering other people's viewpoints- there are often meaningful things to be said.

EDIT: I apologize B2r4a6n, I reitierated most of your points- I'm typing on my iPhone and didn't see your most recent posts until after I submitted.

No problem, thank you NYNewser... P.S... I enjoy reading your Twitter!... Good day!

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I would like to bring this thread back to meaningful discussion, so this will be my last point on this issue, but you cannot claim to be anything but "anti-Brian Williams" when you post something like this: "I look back at Brian Williams, and I don't think he was in the same class as Brokaw, Brinkley, Chancellor. I don't want to be crass, but I wonder what NBC execs were on when he was at WCBS. What made him so special for the NBC people to be gawking at the Channel 2 monitor to then capture him and then raise the pedestal to then 22 years later get knocked off, when he should've been gone decades ago."

 

And in addition, you have not "praised," or even accepted, any other viewpoints on this thread about the issue at hand, in fact, as B2r4a6n pointed out, you referred to everyone who has not called for Williams' annihilation as "naive." I would suggest considering other people's viewpoints- there are often meaningful things to be said.

 

EDIT: I apologize B2r4a6n, I reitierated most of your points- I'm typing on my iPhone and didn't see your most recent posts until after I submitted.

 

I'm not trying to name call anybody, I thought it was FAIR statement for someone being somewhat asleep on the wheel encouraging distraction such as the Grammys to sweep what some of you (to paraphrase) are treating this as non major story or action for that matter.

 

I'm actually having problems posting, I think my ISP is blocking TVNT. I guess these will be my last words for now.

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FWIW...

 

"NBC Sources: This Was Not Williams' Decision"

 

http://www.ftvlive.com/todays-news/2015/2/7/nbc-sources-this-was-not-williams-decision

 

Doesn't look good for Brian. I wonder if everyone at NBC is saying that he should go. If Turness has the guts to let Brian go, I wonder if someone could tell her to start looking at TWC when they chose longform over severe coverage.

 

Lester was on tonight. Will he work tomorrow and start Monday?

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NBC has to be careful. Either way they're gonna piss someone off (by keeping him or letting him go) The more that comes out the more likely it is he wont be around too much longer. One question... With the Today show not doing its best.. And wanting to try something new.. Do you think they'll move Lauer up to NN and bring in someone for Today Show? This way people who like him will watch at night now and maybe some will watch in the mornings since he's not there? Just a thought.

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NBC has to be careful. Either way they're gonna piss someone off (by keeping him or letting him go) The more that comes out the more likely it is he wont be around too much longer. One question... With the Today show not doing its best.. And wanting to try something new.. Do you think they'll move Lauer up to NN and bring in someone for Today Show? This way people who like him will watch at night now and maybe some will watch in the mornings since he's not there? Just a thought.

I would say that at this point anyone but Lester is a mistake...Lester is the only one that would be able to keep Brian's audience... I don't think Matt would be a good fit since he's rarley ever anchored NN and I don't think many people will follow Matt...One piece of interesting news I have noticed is that ever since he announced he is taking off a few hours ago, people are starting to come out and support him on social media saying if he goes they go...This is what NBC has to look at while he's away(besides his reporting), which is that if he stays who will still watch him and if he goes who will go and vise versa....Many people making are making the argument that if Dr. Nancy, who put people in danger can survive so can he...time will tell...

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It is a shame that if she fires him, Turness' head might be on the chopping block.

 

...There are sooooooo many other reasons why she should be canned.

 

At the end of all of this, I'd be stunned, absolutely floored if World News Tonight isn't leading all (week-to-week) ratings categories by the end of the month. I'm curious as to who will take sweeps, as stranger things have happened.

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Now, FNC's Howard Kurtz has a source who says that Williams' leave of absence was voluntary, and wasn't forced upon him by the bosses as FTVLive said. Also, and this is the kicker, this source says Williams is NOT under investigation by NBC.

 

So, basically, no one knows what the f**k is going on.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/07/brian-williams-does-not-face-investigation-stepped-aside-voluntarily-source/

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Interesting, Howard Kurtz's article paints a more optimistic picture for Williams...Most interesting is the Letterman apperence...I would say if he can go on and look the American people in the eye and have a real honest conversation with Dave I say go for it...If he's going to recite more pre written apologies that will make things worse than obviously not...that's up to his judgement to decide.

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I think this situation is worse than the Dan Rather mess. While Rather's error was more meaningful (it was against the president), he truly believed in the story.

 

In this case, Brian Williams told a lie about his own experience. He knew it couldn't have been true. He was there. He originally reported it correctly and then it became a "fish tale," getting bigger each time. And it's not even like this story just got bigger. But there's evidence that people inside NBC had recently told Williams to knock it off with this story, and yet he repeated it on own broadcast last week (which begs the question: why did NBC even allow him to report it??). So it's not like this is simply a case of his memory betraying him.

 

And I think the reason this hurts so much is that the lie was so meaningless. He had nothing to gain and everything to lose.

 

Is he a good reporter? Sure. Shouldn't he get a second chance? I don't know. Brian Williams' brand is trust and credibility. Lying about having been attacked by an RPG for the purpose of more attention amounts to stolen valor. His credibility is shot. It will be impossible to watch him without thinking about That Time He Lied.

 

This piece does a good job of explaining why this is so big: http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/2015/02/brian-williams-mythology-memory-ego-150206214404326.html

 

Does Brian Williams return from his supposedly self-imposed hiatus? Will they take his name off the broadcast? We will see.

 

If I had to bet (good thing I don't!), I'd probably bet on him losing his job over this, whether it's in the next few days or weeks.

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TODAY just mentioned Brian's email, and the fact he's stepping aside for the next few days. It was just a 15-20 second news story that Sheinelle Jones read and was without any sort of commentary from anybody else. This is the first second mention of anything Williams related on NBC since he apologized on Wednesday.

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