Photo Credit: David Shankbone
It's a real shame he felt the need to embellish a story and in turn, damage his career this way. Brian Williams was probably the only reporter/anchor at NBC (on either cable or broadcast) that seemed to even attempt to show any sort of objectivity in his reporting. He didn't always succeed, but more often than not he did. Now we learn this. Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? Not really. I believe there are several factors that led to the scenario where something like this could happen. It's not the first time something like this has happened and I'm sure it won't be the last. But it is the first time someone with the stature of Brian Williams has gotten caught and called out on it. As for this particular situation, NBC thinks a 6 month suspension without pay is appropriate punishment. For Williams, that amounts to a loss of up of $4,000,000 to HIS bottom line. I think Brian Williams done at NBC, at least as far as the Nightly News broadcast goes. NBC typically wins 3 or 4 of the 5 nightly news battles each week on the "broadcast networks." If his "temporary" replacement, Lester Holt, can come in and sustain that or even improve those numbers, the end result is a foregone conclusion. There's no way NBC/Comcast takes a highly visible, much respected, and successful African American out of the anchor chair. It just isn't going to happen. That said, can Williams salvage his career? Maybe. Will he ever anchor a nightly newscast again? Who knows. Time will tell. Maybe Brian Williams can find a spot on MSNBC or at FOX? I certainly hope so, but there's a lot of trust to re-earned and regained before he can do that. Either way, it's a real shame to see an otherwise stellar career take this kind of hit. The fat lady has sung her song for Williams just yet, but at the end of the day and regardless of the how or why, he has no one to blame his current situation on but himself. A cautionary tale indeed.
Til Next Time..................
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