“The floor of the Chinook helicopter shook as it entered fire. In a panic, I fell down and scuttled towards the seat searching for anything to hold on to.”
“Boom!”
“However, once again, the helicopter rattled as it took an RPG(rocket-propelled grenade) to the side. The pilot struggled to maintain the balance of the aircraft, but miraculously we landed without too much trouble.”
An interesting story, but it’s only that: a story.
I was never on a Chinook helicopter that was under fire from a RPG, and neither was Brian Williams.
Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News since 2004, was suspended without pay for six months by the network giant for embellishing and exaggerating his account of his experience in Iraq.
“It was no more than 120 seconds later that the helicopter in front of us was hit,” Williams said on CNBC in 2005.
In 2005, Williams asserted that the helicopter in front of him was targeted by an RPG. However, in future years, Williams claims that he was in the helicopter under fire.
“We were in some helicopters. What we didn’t know was, we were north of the invasion. We were the northernmost Americans in Iraq,” said Williams to David Letterman in 2013. “We were going to drop some bridge portions across the Euphrates so the Third Infantry could cross on them. Two of the four helicopters were hit, by ground fire, including the one I was in, RPG and AK-47.”
Being on Letterman must have tempted Williams and in an attempt to add flare and flavor, he shifted an account of how he witnessed a helicopter hit by an RPG to a grand mission and experiencing being on the Chinook as it was struck. Williams would continue support this story in the years to come.
“A terrible moment a dozen years back during the invasion of Iraq when the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by an RPG,” Williams said in 2015 on the NBC Nightly News.
Every word that has and will come out of Williams’ mouth is now in question. If he has so blatantly embellished the truth on this story, what’s to stop him from exaggerating the truth in other stories?
Who’s to say he hasn’t already? NBC?
Apparently not.
In 2003, the year Williams released his accurate original report, NBC published the book “Operation Iraqi Freedom” where they imply that Williams’ was in a helicopter that was under fire.
“Brian Williams … ended up on the receiving end of an ambush directed at the 3rd Infantry Division. An Army helicopter armada was delivering seventeen-thousand-pound sections of a pontoon bridge to Najaf, about one hundred miles south of Baghdad,” said NBC. “The NBC team went along for the ride, occupying the third of our Chinook.”
Although, Williams’ original report was accurate, somehow NBC cites Williams “on the receiving end of an ambush directed at the 3rd Infantry Division.”
Whether or not Williams convinced the writers of NBC to exaggerate his experience, NBC failed to check their facts and spread misinformation.
The decision for Williams to return to the nighttime news is critical to both the news world and those that watch it.
Many media insiders believe Brian Williams will return some time after his six-month suspension due to his star power and presence at NBC. However, if Williams was to return to the NBC Nightly News, it would send the message to the media that lying is acceptable as long as the journalist has enough sway, they can get away with it. Then, how could viewers believe anything the media says?
Although, it can be argued that some the media will embellish their stories despite the consequences, pardoning Williams completely will only encourage this activity. If Williams were to be further punished, the media will at least watch their step.
While plenty media analysts trivialize Williams’ case and compare him to similar politicians in power that have lied to the public, Williams is not a politician.
He is a journalist and the job of a journalist is to report the truth, no matter how uninteresting.
If NBC wants to at least project an image of morals, ethics, and most importantly credibility, they have to fire Brian Williams as news anchor of NBC Nightly News.
- Police Blotter: Parking lot stalker, footprint dented car, and syrup covered car - November 22, 2015
- Predicting crime: an accurate forecast? - December 9, 2015
- Foster youth grant may bring over a million to PCC - November 4, 2015
He has been a very good news anchor of NBC. I have enjoyed watching him for years! He made a mistake who out there has not? I hope he comes back to NBC soon!
They should stand by an employee who has made them one of the best news stations.
Yes he told a good fish story and that is all, as time goes by I’m sure that in his mind it was a scary event and he could have been hurt or killed!
Joyce
Was Brian Williams wrong in what he did? Yes. Do we put status on people? Yes.
We don’t know exactly how many stories Brian may have, “Added information.” I think that needs to be investigated first. If there has been other stories, stretched, that’s where you need to start. If this has been repeated behavior, then yes, with all due respect, Mr Williams, bow gracefully.
If this is a one time incident, let him keep his job. He screwed up! BIG DEAL! When is the last time I or you, have screwed up. LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!
Remove the log in our own eye first, then remove Brian’s.
You’ve brought up very good points. We all screw up, and we should forgive these screw ups. What I neglected to include in this article(due to a combination of my own narrow view and a limit on word count) are the numerous times Williams has embellished.
A mark of a good story teller is the ability to make real life interesting, to exaggerate the mundane. However, in Williams’ case, he’s a journalist and if those exaggerations are discovered then he has essentially made fiction.
Notable examples include him exaggerating a meeting with the pope after the pope passed away and him bragging about riding with a Seal Team 6 even though a military official said that journalists aren’t allowed to ride along that task force.
We all screw up, but Williams is held to a different standard as both a journalist and a tv personality.
Let me know if what you think!