Brian Williams From NBC Career Implosion? Thoughts about this Lying Journalist..

[TUFCAT]

NBC News anchor Brian Williams told a grand tale to his viewers, interviewers, and talk-show hosts about riding in an Army helicopter over occupied Baghdad when it was struck and forced to land by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Its been proven he was riding in a different Chinook helicopter that wasn't struck by anything! He has now admitted his story was a complete fabrication (told in different forms over the course of nearly 12 years).

Even his apology is tainted with misinformation.

I would not have chosen to make this mistake," Williams said. "I don't know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another."

Williams asserted that he had simply misremembered which aircraft, in a formation of three Chinooks, had been carrying him over Iraq when one of them encountered enemy fire—that he was close to, but not physically located within, the helicopter hit by an RPG.

Your thoughts.....

[RallyeMike]

The national news on the big three with 1 or 2 relevant 60 second blurbs followed by 28 minutes of medical product commercials and useless human interest and entertainment news is an absolute joke and a national embarrassment. Of course, that's what America wants - to be spared from real news, facts and information. Entertain us!

He's well suited for the position.

[TUFCAT]

Not to kick him in his crooked face while he's down but....

He's not worthy to be called a journalist.  Williams didn't just "misremember" anything, but he lied for personal and professional gain.

Here's the problem.  Williams tells a good convincing story.  In the process of telling this story over the years, he's embellished it....... sometimes to make it better, and sometimes because he just believes those embellishments are true.  Some journalists are really just good story tellers....and Storytellers tell...stories.

[68X426]

He's no Dan Rather.

Now there was a first rate liar.

[Mopar Nut]

Glad to hear Brian Williams suspended for 6 months.

[TUFCAT]

It's a little sad to watch someone's journalistic integrity go down the drain....but if you wanted to entertain us rather than report news, he could have gotten a job on a daytime talk show.

Let's face facts: not recalling details of what happened is one thing, but to embellish the hell out of those events?? — that's pretty unethical.  Mr. Williams needs to hold himself to the same standard of honesty and accuracy of reporting that "he seems to hold everyone else" to.

So what if he get's fired.  There's at least 50 qualified people who could start his job tomorrow

[Steve P.]

I miss Walter Cronkite.

[stripedelete]

Pathological.  

Not all sociopaths become serial killers.  Just as many become CEOs.  Or,,,,, news anchors.

[moparnation74]

Not to kick him in his crooked face while he's down but....

He's not a journalist befitting his position.

Brian Williams did not misremember anything.  He lied for personal and professional gain.

The problem is Williams tells a good convincing story.....and in the process of telling it over the years, he's embellished it, sometimes to make it a better story, and sometimes because he now believes those embellishments.  Some journalists are just good story tellers....and Storytellers tell...stories.

Well stated!

Williams embraced his position and wanted a type of respect and notoriety in society.  To retire as one of those famous reporters that made their mark and to be one for the history books.  He could not separate fact from fiction and his pride and self esteem got the best of him.  He believed in his mind that no one would ever question anything he claimed to be involved in.  Never gave it a second thought until it happened.  

Sad for all of his followers and the network.  What an embarrassment.

Goes to show you can lie sometimes, lie once and awhile, lie all the time BUT eventually the truth will come out.  Always does.

[TUFCAT]

Pathological.  

Not all sociopaths become serial killers.  Just as many become CEOs.  Or,,,,, news anchors.

Stripedelete nailed it.  Pathalogical.

I think once a "journalist " speaks or pens a story whether true, false, or indifferent..... they actually become in love with that story and hang onto it forever.

And once you get to a certain level of fame like Williams, the brain must go "f#ck it I am untouchable""....and how could anyone ever dispute my facts!

The problem for this guy was the people around him....

So here's untouchable Brian Williams flying around on a helicopter with other heros from our armed forces.  One of the things that's sure to stick in their mind is that they had to ferry around this Primadonna news prick, ....wouldn't it be reasonable to assume the other servicemen and women might get mad when he lies about being shot down and WANT TO CALL HIS ASS  OUT!!?

[TUFCAT]

Sad for all of his followers and the network.  What an embarrassment.

Goes to show you can lie sometimes, lie once and awhile, lie all the time BUT eventually the truth will come out.  Always does.

Like MN74 says, there's always somebody out there who know a little bit more information than you do, and those people will usually talk.  

That's exactly what bites a person's credibility in the ass.  Its usually impossible to recover from a "journalistic lie"..... once its been uncovered as a falsehood.

[ACUDANUT]

 Another liar trying to be a hero.  Sounds like John Kerry

[TUFCAT]

Another liar trying to be a hero.  Sounds like John Kerry

I never expected this to become political so please only post about lying journalists (Brian Williams in particular)  - and let's not cross the line into politics.  

Only journalists are fair game here....  

[TUFCAT]

Its such a strange feeling when we find out that some journalists are actually liars....

Take Bob Woodruff for example. He was one of the most trusted NBC news journalists of our time....and he risked his life for us until he was unfortunately injured when his tank was shot at by an IUD.  I would still much rather have him in the broadcast chair than BW

Now we're getting our news from a guy who hops into the tanning booth before every Evening News broadcast.

[1970Moparmann]

Story teller..... Sad how he lost his credibility.   He dug his own grave!

[TUFCAT]

Story teller..... Sad how he lost his credibility.   He dug his own grave!

Very true.....he dug his own grave.

But what makes it worse is that Brian Williams (like many other journalists) actually covered some real disasters and gave reports during some very serious and grave situations throughout his career.

He was faced plenty of credibility-building dangers in these environments, but unwisely chose to fabricate a complete lie..... using colorful details to perpetuate and "sell his story" ....all of the while, getting the public to believe him.  

[ws23rt]

I worked with a guy over a period of years (20+) that had a reputation for telling stories/lies.
In the circle of people that knew him, all agreed he embellished his stories.

In the last years I knew him the stories he told became bigger than physics could justify and his commitment to the stories hardened. It became clear to all of us that knew him that he truly believed he lived his lies.

This may be what a pathological lie is.---One that the teller does not know is not true---

I'm not proposing Brian is that but it could be something close to it.

I tend to agree with others here that his creditability grew bigger in his own mind.  And when he spoke the idea that he would be questioned was not part of his world.

Why he doesn't come completely clean on this tells me he is trying to figure how to lie his way out of this mess.

[TUFCAT]

It very sad that we have to fact check so many of our "journalists" these days...

(even automotive journalists)

This guy was a glorified newsreader who was getting paid as the flag bearer of NBC's news division.

NBC should beat on him like a piñata until he has no choice but to take an obscure local job in Dodge City, Kansas.

No offense to the nice people in Dodge City, KS.....as I think you deserve better. 

[Old Moparz]

The national news on the big three with 1 or 2 relevant 60 second blurbs followed by 28 minutes of medical product commercials and useless human interest and entertainment news is an absolute joke and a national embarrassment. Of course, that's what America wants - to be spared from real news, facts and information. Entertain us!

He's well suited for the position.

 Well said.


Nothing says "I need to make up some serious bullshit to make some serious money" like stupid salaries.  

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/top-10-highest-paid-news-anchors/142101

Matt Lauer (Today): $21.5 million
Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor): $15 million
Brian Williams (NBC Nightly News): $13 million
Diane Sawyer (ABC World News): $12 million
Anderson Cooper (Anderson Cooper 360 and Anderson Live): $11 million
Shepard Smith (The Fox Report) $8 million
Robin Roberts (Good Morning America) $6 million
Joe Scarborough (Morning Joe) $6 million
Scott Pelley (CBS Evening News) $4 million
Nancy Grace (Nancy Grace) $3 million

Follow the money. There is no way possible that any integrity comes with any of the talking heads in the above list. There are only 6 major media companies that own most of the commercial networks with "news" on them so you're only going to be told what these major corporations want you to hear. You'll be told this news by the pretty face that marketing studies have proven to be the most likeable, most trustworthy, smiling face.

By the way, your bubble might burst when you see who is a part owner of FOX.  

[ws23rt]

I miss Walter Cronkite.

I do too   I'm old enough to remember looking forward to his broadcasts. He was like a grandfather that could only speak things that were true. If something big was happening/unfolding he would tell us just that. He would say I/we don't know instead of making up something.  Truth in the news was a big deal back then.  

It seams like the news today is more of an entertainment program than a window on the world as it really is. Spinning the news has become so normal that it may not be possible for any one to be believed.

We do need a place for just the facts please.  

[68X426]

Story teller..... Sad how he lost his credibility.   He dug his own grave!

And unfortunately he'll spend his months off writing a book about the trauma of it all.  Some big city publisher will drop a few million on him and then he'll tour the tv talk shows being glorified for "coming clean".  Finally it's Oprah time and then he's even more "famous" and more rich.





 

[Ghoste]

It makes Ron Burgundy seem real.  It doesn't begin or end with the tv hosts either, radio and print have legions of these guys also who "embellish" the facts or in some cases just make them up outright.  Look at all the bogus "news" stories we see on here even from nonsensical Top Ten car lists to magazine writers who later admit never even driving the vehicle they report on.
Which is all getting offside on the topic of course since a "respected" journalist lying about a car is hardly on the same level as Brian Williams going on the air internationally (satellite tv folks) and pretending he took fire in a helicopter.  Also sad to think that being in the war zone in the first place had somehow become not good enough to a reporter. 

[Mike DC]

 

The era of respectable reporters will probably die along with the era of respectable news. 


Respectable even-handed news has been a temporary thing, historically speaking.  There is far more money to be made in feeding extreme opinions than reasonable ones. 

[TUFCAT]

Hey,....Brian Williams just remembered something else! 

[Ghoste]

Do you think they had the same discussions about the olde towne criers back in the day.  Sitting in the dark tavern with the other malcontents swilling a fine pewter mug of ale or mead or something and plotting to run the crier out of town for making up some story about pigs?