The Downfall of Brian Williams
In January of 2015 Brian Williams was caught misrepresenting a story about his time reporting on the war in Iraq in 2003. Williams was forced to recant his story in which he claimed he was in a helicopter that was hit by enemy fire and forced down. It became evident that he also embellished other stories he reported on, including a story about hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in which he claimed he saw a body floating through the streets.
As a journalist, Williams did not live up to his ethical responsibility to be transparent and accountable. He also sacrificed his credibility and that of NBC, which is one of the most important ethical attributes in the profession of journalism, by embellishing stories.
Williams and NBC did not handle the scandal with transparency and accountability. He did not follow the SPJ code of ethics which states that a journalist should “acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently” as well as “explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly” (Society, 2014). Williams was not transparent and did not openly and easily explain himself. The inaccuracies surrounding his claim began in 2003 when NBC published a story stating that Williams was on the aircraft that was attacked. In a blog that Williams wrote in 2008 he claimed that the aircraft ahead of him was struck, not his own (Tritten, 2015). Williams chalked up these inaccuracies to “memory issues.” Williams should never have let NBC publish such a story about him, or he should have denied it from the beginning.
In February 2015 NBC launched an investigation into Williams’ reporting and very few details have been publicly disclosed (Neuts). Mark Feldstein, a broadcast journalism professor at the University of Maryland, said that NBC should have allowed for more transparency in the investigation into Williams (Yu, 2015).
Mike O’Keeffe, a door gunner who was on the actual damaged aircraft that Williams claimed he was on, remembered the story published by NBC in 2003, which stated Williams was on the chinook that came under fire, though it was false. O’Keefe is in disbelief that Williams is still feeding audiences the same inaccurate story to this day (Tritten, 2015).
Though there is plenty of evidence against Williams’ claim that he was on the helicopter that was struck, he has not owned up to his unethical journalism practice. He has shown an ‘inability to explain himself’ and has come across as ‘shell-shocked’ by the whole scandal (Stelter, 2015). His reaction has hurt his ability to respond effectively, which in turn has affected his public standing.
Williams should have followed the SPJ Code of Ethics to refrain from committing the mistake he did. As a journalist, it is imperative to be accurate about reporting and retelling of stories to maintain one’s credibility. It is important to discuss transparency and credibility because they are ethical standards that give people faith in journalism. Currently on unpaid 6-month suspension, Williams’ future remains unknown. Whether he can bounce back and regain his credibility and standing among audiences is yet to be seen.
References
Neuts, D. (2015). Brian Williams’ ethical lapse hurts us all. Quill, 103(2), 3.
Stelter, B. (2015, April 7). ‘Shell-shocked:’ new details about NBC’s handling of the Brian Williams scandal. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/07/media/vanity-fair-probe-nbc-news/index.html
Society of Professional Journalists improving and protecting journalism since 1909. (2014, September 6). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Tritten, T. (2015, February 4). NBC’s Brian Williams recants Iraq story after soldiers protest. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.stripes.com/promotions/2.1066/us/nbc-s-brian-williams-recants-iraq-story-after-soldiers-protest-1.327792
Yu, R., & Eversley, M. (2015, February 11). NBC: Brian Williams suspended for six months. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/02/10/brian-williams-nbc-suspended/23200821/