Whether you have decades of media experience or are just starting out, honesty and integrity are key. With the Internet looming overhead, any misstated facts or exaggerated truths may be discovered and broadcast. TV veteran news anchor, Brian Williams learned this lesson after an apparent attempt to be part of the story, rather than simply reporting it. Williams was outed by the military magazine, Stars and Stripes, for lying about his experience in a military helicopter in Iraq, over a decade ago.
(photo courtesy for NBC.com)
In what he claims was an attempt to thank a specific military veteran, Mr. Williams falsely stated on David Letterman and several other occasions that he was in a helicopter hit by RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) fire while on assignment in Northern Iraq. His helicopter was in fact behind those that were hit. Williams has since recanted and apologized on air.
But NBC responded by suspending the anchor for six months without pay, citing that Williams’ behavior was “completely inappropriate.” According to network executives, “by his actions, Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate.”
Credibility, or lack therof, is the moral of this message. Since this story broke, every other news assignment undertaken by Mr. Williams is now facing scrutiny, including his coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina where he claimed to see bodies floating outside his hotel. Upon further investigation, Mr. Williams’ hotel, the Ritz Carlton, was not located in a flooded area of the city.
His on-air exaggerations may be the undoing of a career of credible news reporting with a few moments of excited storytelling. The Media Mistake Not to Make is … never mislead, lie or try to bluff.