It started with the public flogging of once-respected TV anchorman Brian Williams, who was caught “misremembering” about being shot down over Iraq.
That incident occurred 12 years earlier, in 2003.
The affable Williams, who projected an “everyman” persona on a variety of shows outside of anchoring, was quickly sentenced to a minimum of six months off the air by his bosses at NBC.
In other words, they threw him under the proverbial bus.
When “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Croft was involved in a scandal recently with his mistress where it was reported he “drank champagne from her butt” the entire incident blew over almost immediately. No suspension for Croft, who was called the “go-to” interviewer with the President. He was reporting as usual on the next show.
In fact, “60 Minutes” reporter Lara Logan received a brief suspension after broadcasting a totally bogus report on the Benghazi incident. That was after she was caught having an affair with a CNN correspondent despite being married at the time.
However, Williams’s suspension very likely will turn into a lifetime banishment on the airwaves (see Dan Rather), particularly since he was replaced by Lester Holt, an African-American.
“Williams, who anchored “NBC Nightly News” until he received a six-month suspension last week, went from being the 23rd-most-trusted person in America a little over a week ago to falling to the 835th spot,” according to Business Insider (LINK).
His fall from on-high was astounding and quick.
When the news media turns on you it can get very ugly, particularly when you are a good-looking anchorman. When you have social media “experts” piling on it is even worse.
Joe Klein of Time was one of the few journalists who felt Williams’s apology should be accepted and move on (LINK).
While Williams was being humiliated word came out that veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Simon, 73, had been killed in an auto accident. Fellow CBS newsman Scott Pelley went on the air to report on Simon’s death and seemed to have been crying before delivering the fateful news.
The week came to an ugly end with the announcement that David Carr, media columnist at the New York Times, had collapsed and died in the newsroom (LINK). Carr was just 58. He was a cancer survivor and former crack cocaine addict/dealer in his younger days.
Dean Baquet, The Times’s executive editor, informed staff members of Mr. Carr’s death in an email.
Mr. Carr, he wrote, “was the finest media reporter of his generation, a remarkable and funny man who was one of the leaders of our newsroom.”
WILLIAMS CHANGED OVER TIME
I used to really enjoy Williams but as the years went on it seemed like too often he was making the show about himself and when he made talk show appearances he was more into playing for laughs than offering insight on news of the day.
STAY CLASSY!!
“Jigaboo!” said the Cleveland Fox News morning show host. Stay classy, FOX NEWS!
PARTISAN HACK
Why not talk about Fox News and the multiple, document lies from Bill O’Reilly? You’re a partisan hack, John, and it shows in your right-wing bias!
The story was written well before the entire O’Reilly affair was raised. And O’Reilly is not a newsman anyway.