NBC’s revered Brian Williams a fabricating fraud?
By Arielle Weller
NBC “Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams has taken a step down from the spotlight and has settled in on some self-reflection. Last week, Williams admitted to fabricating a previous recollection regarding an alleged helicopter downfall he had been in Iraq in 2003, that he in fact was not involved with at all.
In a recent Friday “Nightly News” segment, Williams sat down with Sgt. Major Tim Terpack and recalled how he was on the helicopter that was struck by a rocket grenade that had gone down. Further claiming that after the Helicopter had gone down, he and the NBC crew were saved and kept alive by Sgt. Terpack.
However, Stars and Stripes military paper pleaded a different case when crewmembers aboard that same helicopter came forward and said he was actually on a completely different aircraft.
Lance Reynolds, the flight engineer on the struck helicopter commented on the NBC nightly news Facebook page and said;
“Sorry dude, I don’t remember you being on my aircraft. I do remember you walking up about an hour after we had landed to ask me what had happened. Then I remember you guys taking back off in a different flight of Chinooks from another unit and heading to Kuwait to report your ‘war story’ to the ‘Nightly News.’ The whole time we were still stuck in Iraq trying to repair the aircraft and pulling our own Security.”
Reynolds was not the only person to come forward on social media. Some crew resorted to short replies such as “liar,” while others went in depth into the actual account.
Williams on air apologized and announced that he will be “stepping down from broadcast for several days” where another broadcaster, Lester Holt will fill in for him. “Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us,” he said.
All of this comes along with plenty of backlash where now many are wondering what else he has fabricated in the past and many go as far as to push resignation. Is this the only incident or are there more he just hasn’t been caught for? Some specifically pinpointing his broadcast during Hurricane Katrina and how much of the riveting details were true, or just his imagination.
Williams will go down in history, much like world-famed ex-journalist and fabrication extraordinaire Stephen Glass, who made up incredibly hard-hitting and entertaining news stories in the Daily Republic newspaper to get ahead in the industry.
Some say because he was in fact in a helicopter behind the other he may just have confused the situation as many do in life threatening scenarios. While others show no mercy and call him a “pathological liar.”
Jon Stewart on The Daily Show innocently poked fun at his good friend Williams, and tried to make light of the situation. The Washington Post said, “Yet highlighting one breakdown shouldn’t substitute or overshadow another. Though less consequential, Williams’s violations of journalistic rectitude are staggering. Had Williams been some other anchor working for some other network, perhaps Stewart would have showered him with less exculpatory context.” Stewart also pointed out that Williams is only one of many who have lied regarding the Iraq war.
According to Fox News, Matt Laur said on the Today Show that it is “difficult,” because “Brian is not only a colleague but a really good friend.”
As of right now Williams has been given a 6-month suspension without pay, but should he be allowed to continue to as managing editor and chief anchor? After all he has compromised the code of ethics of journalism, and as much as he is loved, it should not excuse his actions and responsibility as one of the top anchors in the nation to deliver credible news. If this is the one time that he is admitting to lying, on multiple occasions about the event, what more of the rest of this career?
