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(Another day in paradise)
发表于 2015-2-12 07:07
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NBC: Brian Williams suspended for six months
BC News said Tuesday it has suspended its chief anchor and managing editor Brian Williams immediately for six months without pay, forgoing the option of firing the embattled newsman for now due to his popularity and past work at the network.
"As I'm sure you understand, this was a very hard decision," wrote NBC News President Deborah Turness in a memo distributed to staff members late Tuesday. "Certainly there will be those who disagree. But we believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action."
Turness said the decision to suspend Williams was made jointly with NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke and Pat Fili, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group. NBCUniversal, which operates NBC News, is a subsidiary of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp.
"His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate," Burke said. "He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him. Brian has shared his deep remorse with me and he is committed to winning back everyone's trust."
Williams replaced Tom Brokaw in 2004 as NBC Nightly News anchor after working as a reporter at the network since the early 1990s. Mixing serious journalism with occasional appearances on late night talk shows, Williams has helped NBC Nightly News retain its lead over competitors. Despite the overall drop in evening news viewership over the years, NBC Nightly News averages about 9 million to 10 million viewers a night, edging ABC's World News Tonight and CBS Evening News.
"It's basically a slap on the wrist. If you or I had done this, we'd have been fired immediately," said Mark Feldstein, a broadcast journalism professor at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. "He's a franchise with a following, and I think that is a lot more important to corporate executives than mere sentimentality. I think they're trying to preserve the Williams brand that they've invested millions in."
Last Friday, NBC News confirmed it began conducting its investigation of Williams' claims about his work. The probe, led by Richard Esposito, head of its investigative team, in cooperation with NBCUniversal General Counsel Kim Harris, is ongoing. "This has been a difficult time," Turness wrote. "Because of you, your loyalty, your dedication, NBC News is an organization we can – and should - all be proud of. We will get through this together."
The scandal erupted earlier this month when Williams attended a New York Rangers game with a soldier who helped guard him and other American soldiers while a convoy of military helicopters they were flying on was forced to land on a desert in Iraq in 2003.
Williams said the helicopter he was on had been hit by enemy fire and forced down. Veterans from the convoy challenged Williams' story — which he has repeated in the past — on Facebook. And the anchorman recanted the story on air Wednesday after Stars and Stripes wrote a story about their online exchange and interviewed Williams and the veterans.
Other news reports began emerging after the story, questioning other Williams statements. Williams has said he saw a body floating in front of his hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans Advocate pointed out last week that the Quarter was mostly dry and quoted an official questioning his story.
"While on Nightly News on Friday, January 30, 2015, Brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003. It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues," Turness wrote.
"This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian's position. As Managing Editor and anchor of Nightly News, Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times," she said.
Feldstein of the University of Maryland called for more transparency from NBC as it completes its investigation. "There ought to be a full airing of the investigation," he said. "Who they interviewed. How many interviewees. How much did the bosses know about this? How many complaints have they received from co-workers."
