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Post by Russell Letson on Feb 7, 2015 16:50:09 GMT -5
Chesapeake undoubtedly has a more thorough understanding of the various kinds of news anchor there have been and are currently, but from what I've read, the most senior ones are often credited as editors in their operations, though the whole editorial process involves producers of various kinds as well as higher-ups in the organization. How different is this from a print newsroom, with its publisher, editor-in-chief, department editors, editorial board, and other parts of the complex apparatus?*
It doesn't take much research to show that there have been post-Cronkite anchors who started as reporters, though I see that Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and Carol Costello as well as Williams spent their careers in the broadcast end rather than coming in from print. Diane Sawyer worked her way from press-secretary jobs to journalism, starting as a reporter. Bill Kurtis shifted from law to broadcast news and has plenty of reporting credits. Does that make them less journalists, at least in their background and experience?
* On edit: Bill answered part of this while I was off Googling.
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Post by billhammond on Feb 7, 2015 17:59:20 GMT -5
This just in:
LOS ANGELES — Brian Williams is stepping away temporarily from the "NBC Nightly News" amid questions about his memories of war coverage in Iraq, saying it has become "painfully apparent" to him that he has become a distracting news story.
In a memo Saturday to NBC News staff that was released by the network, the anchorman said that as managing editor of "NBC Nightly News" he is taking himself off the broadcast for several days. Lester Holt will fill in, Williams said.
"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 said in his memo.
"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 wrote.
Williams has apologized for falsely saying on the air that he was in a helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while in Iraq in 2003.
Questions have also been raised about his claim that he saw a body or bodies in the Hurricane Katrina floodwaters that hit New Orleans.
NBC News President Deborah Turness said in an internal memo Friday that the network has assigned the head of its own investigative unit to look into Williams' statements.
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Post by Chesapeake on Feb 7, 2015 21:48:38 GMT -5
I still don't see how Williams can survive this. I doubt he will be back on the air, probably ever in a news capacity.
As Russell's research shows, most anchors started their careers as reporters, either in broadcast or print (though those of us who started in print think we are inherently superior.) One of the best anchors around, as far as I'm concerned, is Shepard Smith, who's proven his reporting chops repeatedly in stories like Katrina. Generally anchors do have some executive authority implied in their titles, though just like in print media I'm sure what titles really mean varies among different organizations. In his statement Williams was at pains to say that in his capacity as managing editor he was giving himself a few days off. A bit of posturing a little too cute for my taste, but then I'm looking at everything he does with different glasses on. It sounds like he really thinks the passage of a few days will take the wind out of the story, it will all blow over, and, to further flog the metaphor, he'll be able to sail right back into his old job. As has been pointed out here, politicians have come back from similar fixes. But I maintain that being a national TV news anchor requires that one project rock-solid integrity and honesty. That will never happen again for Brian Williams.
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Post by millring on Feb 8, 2015 7:53:12 GMT -5
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Post by theevan on Feb 8, 2015 8:08:15 GMT -5
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Post by theevan on Feb 8, 2015 8:09:10 GMT -5
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Post by theevan on Feb 8, 2015 8:09:55 GMT -5
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Post by theevan on Feb 8, 2015 8:11:31 GMT -5
Sorry. Couldn't help myself.
Like 'peake, I don't see how he survives. When I heard the news that he was going to step away for a "few days" I just shook my head. I'm seeing a serious disconnect here.
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Post by godotwaits on Feb 8, 2015 8:42:19 GMT -5
I'm still trying to figure out where the "yellowcake" is....
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Post by godotwaits on Feb 8, 2015 8:44:08 GMT -5
or for that matter.... "Who the fuck has the beef...?!"
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Post by millring on Feb 8, 2015 8:52:54 GMT -5
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Post by drlj on Feb 8, 2015 9:17:33 GMT -5
Things like this used to happen and then were gone from memory pretty fast. Now with the internet and 24 hour a day news channels and discussion shows, it can become a really big thing very fast. I always liked Williams pretty well because I thought he had a good sense of humor about himself. That is going to get a real workout for a while and I don't see how he is going to bounce back from it.
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Post by godotwaits on Feb 8, 2015 9:25:46 GMT -5
I'd rather not discuss it
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Post by lar on Feb 8, 2015 9:52:53 GMT -5
Lots of people inflate their resumes. And when a prospective employer catches the lie, the applicant doesn't get the job. Why should it be any different when it involves a TV news anchor?
Now that the news is out I'm wondering why Williams hasn't resigned and why NBC hasn't fired him.
Not only has none of that happened, NBC has announced that they are investigating the incident. What is there to investigate?
It's a bad thing when the reporter becomes the story.
Williams admitted that he made up the story. It wasn't a misstatement. It wasn't an error. What he said was untrue. End of story. There is no upside to this for NBC. They need to cut their losses and get on with things.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2015 10:17:08 GMT -5
Lots of people inflate their resumes. And when a prospective employer catches the lie, the applicant doesn't get the job. Why should it be any different when it involves a TV news anchor? Now that the news is out I'm wondering why Williams hasn't resigned and why NBC hasn't fired him. Not only has none of that happened, NBC has announced that they are investigating the incident. What is there to investigate? It's a bad thing when the reporter becomes the story. Williams admitted that he made up the story. It wasn't a misstatement. It wasn't an error. What he said was untrue. End of story. There is no upside to this for NBC. They need to cut their losses and get on with things. They need to make sure nobody knew the truth prior to Williams admission, it's called "Covering Your Ass".
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Post by Fingerplucked on Feb 8, 2015 10:27:59 GMT -5
Now that the news is out I'm wondering why Williams hasn't resigned and why NBC hasn't fired him. That's two questions. The answer to the first is that Williams likes the money, ratings and fame, but mostly the money. The answer to the second question is that NBC ikes the money, ratings and fame, but mostly the money. I'm pretty sure both Williams and NBC are testing the water, waiting to see how badly this has effected his credibility, and whether it will blow over as the next wave of scandals hit the news. Depending on how thick skinned he is, Williams may resign if he gets tired of the negative coverage. NBC will no doubt make a financial decision: should they fire the most popular network news anchor? If he's still pulling in ratings, then the answer is no. If people quit watching NBC due to lack of trust in Williams, then the answer is yes. In the meantime, until the next run at Benghazi, the conservative media will continue to call for a public execution.
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Post by Doug on Feb 8, 2015 10:30:49 GMT -5
Well as I was bad mouthing our local paper, here is something from our editorial page.
This is as good a time as any to tell this story.
A few years back, I was on a safari with Brian Williams. You may know him as the anchor at NBC News.
I was out in one of those open Jeeps one day with a group of people looking for lions. Why you do that in an open Jeep is beyond me, but I figured the guys leading the safari knew what they were doing.
We're tooling along when we hear a galloping sound. Next thing you know, this rhino is running alongside us, and right behind is Brian Williams. He's working a lasso while riding this giraffe, and suddenly he heaves the rope and somehow snags the back right foot (paw? hoof?) of this rhino.
Ol' Brian leaps from the giraffe onto the rhino, tips it over and ties three of the beast's feet together. Then he throws up his arms and I hear a woman shout, "Seven-point-two seconds. That's gotta be a record."
I turn around. The woman behind me holding the stop watch is Mariah Carey.
You probably heard Brian talk about this on the Letterman show, so it's not like I'm letting the cat out of the bag.
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Post by TKennedy on Feb 8, 2015 10:42:01 GMT -5
He should have watched Wag The Dog. Now Oprah and maybe finding Jesus are his only hope.
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Post by fauxmaha on Feb 8, 2015 10:43:51 GMT -5
Testing...
Well, that didn't work...
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,958
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Post by Dub on Feb 8, 2015 11:06:03 GMT -5
Maybe if he gets on his knees in front of his anchor desk with tears streaming down his face and proclaims “I have sinned.”
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