In another era, embattled “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams would not have lied about his helicopter coming under RPG fire during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He would not have told Comedy Central that he came within 1,500 feet of being hit again while covering the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War. He probably wouldn’t have gone on Comedy Central in the first place. Or become a regular on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “30 Rock,” for that matter.
Such things were once not only outside a newsperson’s job description; they were against the prevailing ethos of the profession. In the good old days of Walter Cronkite, old-timers will hasten to tell you, journalists maintained a degree of remove from their subjects. In Britain, where anchors are called “newsreaders” and strive to keep a low profile, that’s still the goal.
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It’s probably true that, even after Williams returns, he can never again report on an armed conflict without having his credibility called into question. Even with a sincere, full-throated apology, unforgiving viewers will continue to call him a liar.
Perhaps, had the story not been so widely reported and commented on, six months would have been enough for everyone to forget about his big, dumb lie. But the very celebrity Williams courted guarantees it will follow him for the rest of his career.
