One never suspects the credibility of a news anchor's report. People may question the story making the headline, but not the actual person delivering the news. Well, that recently changed when NBC Nightly News anchor, Brian Williams, falsified a situation he had been in. More known for making headlines for his rapping skills, thanks to Jimmy Fallon, his reputation is now being looked at in a negative light.
In 2003, Brian Williams went to Iraq to report on the war in a raw and courageous manner. He tagged along with soldiers in helicopters as they fought the war. We learned of his bravery and commitment as an anchor when his helicopter was shot down by enemy fire. The tale was reiterated in 2013 on Letterman and recently on NBC Nightly News when paying tribute to one of the men in the helicopter with him. The only thing is, his story was not true. He was not in a helicopter that was shot down by enemy fire. He was in the helicopter that landed half an hour after the one that had been hit.
It took the comments of soldiers on Facebook to shed the truth on what really went down on that day in 2003. Now you can probably understand people’s confusion and questioning, why lie? Realizing his mistake, Brian Williams took to the air to apologize for his "mis-remembering" of those events that occurred twelve years ago.
This is when the scrutiny began. His credibility and character came into question for many of his loyal viewers, including me. I love Brian Williams and believe he is an incredible anchor, but this whole situation made me a little weary. Due to the scandal, and realization of the distraction the criticism was causing, Brian Williams has decided to take a leave from his Nightly News desk, leaving the viewers to question if he will return to that faithful chair where he has delivered world news for ten years.
Williams stated, “In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions.” Williams has left Lester Holt to anchor NBC Nightly News until the network can figure out how to deal with the crisis. I truly believe Brian Williams can come back from this, but his credibility might be a little shot.
