Brian Williams, anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” is in a world of hurt right now. Earlier this week, a tale that Williams has been telling for some time — a story about being in a helicopter that came under RPG fire while Williams was covering the 2003 invasion of Iraq — has turned out to be, at best, embellished. (Williams himself has said that he “made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago,” a claim that Twitter had some fun with, as Twitter will.)
Since then, Williams has earned a more visceral awareness of what it’s like to come under fire. Critics have called this episode an “unmitigated disaster” for Williams. His most esteemed colleague, Tom Brokaw, appeared in reports — hastily walked-back reports, anyway — calling for Williams’ head to roll. Now, with the scent of blood in the air, Williams’ name-making reporting from Hurricane Katrina is being re-scrutinized. In short, media critics of all stripes are coming at this story, serrated knives out. All of which makes me wonder how one of Williams’ friends in the world of media criticism — “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart — is going to handle the whole thing.
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At any rate, the Williams imbroglio really seems like an ideal topic for “The Daily Show” to tackle. Perhaps it’s the best venue for Williams to explain himself.
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