NBC Nightly News Managing Editor and anchor Brian Williams is serving a six month suspension without pay. Some people, though, are coming to his defense. Fox's Bill O’Reilly said he should be allowed one pass. Missouri School of Journalism professors Earnest Perry, Mike McKean and Amy Simons discuss the issue on KBIA-FM's media criticism program, "Views of the News."
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Simons said she's seen a divide between how broadcast journalists and others within feel about what should happen to Williams. She pointed out more TV journalists seem to be coming to his defense others want a zero-tolerance policy.
"People who are in other parts of our profession are the ones coming down calling for a zero tolerance and saying he needs to come off that desk, NBC needs to cut ties, and we all need to move on."
http://youtu.be/Q3XK8gPCuYY
Perry said that's long been a characteristic of the dichotomy. Williams, however, did apologize to the public by saying he "misremembered."
"His apology just seemed to me, to fall flat on his face. I mean, I think he could have been stronger about maybe not saying I 'misremembered' and saying I flat out got this wrong."
Perry said the public needs to take a closer look at Williams' career as a whole, instead of this one situation. He said Williams should not be defined by this one moment.
“People need to look at his career in its total, because right now he should not be defined by just this one, the last two weeks, and that’s what bothers me both from a television standpoint as well as a print standpoint..."
