The Lies of NBC's Brian Williams
I never liked Brian William's delivery of the NBC Nightly News. It was nothing personal, it was just how he sounded and the stories he selected to fill the 22-minute broadcast. Nearly any national broadcaster has a problem trying to fill Walter Cronkite's delivery and voice. He was old school and inherently trustworthy, Brian, was slick and now we find out he embellished or outright lied about many of his stories to enhance his story and personal status. The downfall of Brian Williams is startling and like a snow avalanche, just as rapid.
What can be said, most people in the business or not are speechless. Was it originally just a little embellishment of the truth, adding a few things that would make sound more interesting and make him more important? The, as time went on, it became like a drug, and Brian did it more and more thinking who would know or blow the whistle? It is odd that that his TV crew (production, camerman) did not immediately refute or not what Brian has said. There are plenty of background people that one does not see even on remote locations.
When members of Seal Team 6 refute what Brian Williams has said as "bullshit", there is no wonder NBC suspended him for six months. This could be a polite way of saying he was "fired". Seal Team 6 would never allow any reporter to embed with them on a mission because they are all about secrecy. Then, Brian claims he has a part of a secret helicopter that crashed. Highly unlikely, but if it is true, Brian, where is it? Show the world!
The embellishment is not new. In 2002, Brian talked about how as a student in 1979, Pope John Paul II came to his university and was the highlight. Like many then, it was monumental just being in the same area. Then, in 2004, he added that he had actually shook the Pope's hand. In 2005, he said that a chatty Secret Service agent told him the Pope would be coming down the hall Brian was standing in and as he did, shook the Pope's hand. Later that year, Brian simply stated he saw the Pope because he was in the right place at the right time- nothing to do with an agent giving him a tip. Brian also did not tell the exact truth about the Berlin wall collapse in 1989. At first, he said he was there when the first parts of the wall came tumbling down. No, it was Tom Brokaw who actually was there. Brian did not arrive to see the Berlin wall come down until 12 hours later.
Small lies end up toppling leaders of countries, remember President Nixon and Watergate? When a journalist is exposed for embellishment of facts or outright lies, it is a death sentence for his career. Who in the world would believe Williams now if he returns to the NBC Nightly News? Sadly, he needs to look for another career. His credibility is gone.
That is a fact.
