Charlie Sheen Hails Brian Williams As 'True Patriot' and 'Hero'
Adding to the myriad of problems for Brian Williams, actor Charlie Sheen has voiced his support for the embattled NBC Nightly News anchor. In an open letter released on Wednesday, the famously erratic celebrity praised Williams [grammar as written]: "First off, THANK YOU, for 24 years of inimitable professionalism and top shelf brilliance, as a stone cold passion driven and (PERFECTLY) fact based…
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On CNN, Douglas Brinkley Makes Excuses for 'Talent' Brian Williams
Liberal author Douglas Brinkley did his best on Wednesday's Anderson Cooper 360 to excuse Brian Williams's "embellishment" regarding his reporting of the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – mere moments after the CNN program spotlighted examples of the NBC anchor's questionable claims. Despite this reporting, host Anderson Cooper never confronted his guest over his own role in boosting…
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ABC, CBS Omit Keystone Pipeline Passing Congress; NBC Gives It 11 Secs
When it came to the major broadcast networks covering the full congressional passage of the Keystone XL oil pipeline on their Wednesday night newscasts, ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir and the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley chose to ignore the story completely and left their viewers in the dark on this issue. Meanwhile, NBC Nightly News made it the second topic covered on its…
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NBC Nightly News Drops Brian Williams From Credits, Twitter, & Website
On its first broadcast since the announcement of anchor Brian Williams’s suspension, NBC Nightly News took the step of dropping both Williams’s name from the program’s title, opening graphics, recorded introduction, mastead of the show's website, and Twitter account. Following four teasers from now-interim anchor Lester Holt, the opening theme of the program was played as normal, but instead of a…
New Yorker: Brokaw ‘Played a Key Role’ in Williams Suspension
Ken Auletta reports that Williams had agreed to a suspension but “wanted a declaration by NBC that he would return as an evening-news anchor.” NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, “torn between wanting to take a hard line and feeling compassion for Williams,” sought Brokaw’s counsel regarding the matter. After Brokaw said he was “concerned about the effects of Williams’s actions on the reputation of the…
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NBCers React to Williams: 'Truth and Transparency - It's Our Trade'
Reacting to the decision by NBC News to suspend NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams for six months following his Iraq war lies, Today 9 a.m. hour co-host Willie Geist acknowledged it was "kind of a difficult and strange morning." Fellow co-host Natalie Morales added: "...it is a difficult day here and we are certainly sharing our best wishes with Brian. It's a tough time for him and his family…
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CBS, ABC Mock Arrogant Brian Williams's 'Dumb Decisions'
In the wake of a six month suspension for NBC anchor Brian Williams, ABC and CBS on Wednesday offered mocking coverage of their competitor's downfall. New York Times reporter David Carr appeared on CBS This Morning to deride: "...Everyone, including Brian, thought he was maybe too big to fail...Turns out, he's not the most important thing."
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Former CNN Journalist: Williams' Lie Not as Bad as Bush 'Telling Lies'
On Wednesday's CNN Newsroom, Mark Feldstein channeled Michael Moore's take on the Brian Williams scandal. The former CNN journalist acknowledged that Williams likely wouldn't recover the "traditional credibility that he had as a news anchor," but later fell into the same Bush bashing as Moore: "Is it as bad a scandal as telling lies about the Iraq War to get us into it, as the Bush administration…
NYT's Parker-Pope Pushes False Memories Williams Meme 4 Days Late
Tara Parker-Pope attempted a defense of disgraced NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams in an item ("Was Brian Williams a Victim of False Memory?") posted at the New York Times "Well" blog — late Monday afternoon. It even made Tuesday's New York version of the Old Gray Lady's print edition.
Parker-Pope's premise, similar to that used by Marison Bello at USA Today three days earlier — even using…
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NBC Finally Does Full Report on Brian Williams Scandal
After six days of limiting its coverage of the scandal engulfing NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams to a few cryptic briefs only seconds long, NBC News finally provided full coverage of the controversy on Tuesday's Today show. Co-host Matt Lauer introduced the report: "And now we turn to a story that hits very close to home for all of us who work at NBC News. Brian Williams, who's anchored…
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‘Big Three’ Networks Mourn Jon Stewart’s ‘Daily Show’ Departure
On Tuesday night, liberal comedian Jon Stewart announced that he was stepping down as host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show after 16 years and on Wednesday, the “big three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) morning shows eagerly praised Stewart's tenure. NBC’s Matt Lauer introduced Today by declaring “Stewart Stunner..The announcement that’s rocking Hollywood, Washington and his millions of fans” and ABC’s…
Frank Rich: Conservatives Wildly Exaggerate Williams’s Liberalism
New York magazine pundit Rich admits the anchor badly mishandled the flap over his Iraq-war tall tale but dismisses much conservative criticism of Williams: “They view him as Exhibit A of a lying left-wing mainstream media conspiracy…But neither in public nor private have I ever seen or heard Brian Williams express any partisan political opinion.”
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Scarborough Shocked by Snark Over 'Straight' Reporter Brian Williams
Joe Scarborough is shocked by the outpouring of "sheer hatred, snarkiness and snideness" directed at Brian Williams.
On today's Morning Joe, Scarborough drew a contrast between himself, who as an opinion person has to expect much criticism, and Williams, who he claimed reported the news in a "straight" way. But as Newsbusters and our parent MRC has carefully documented, Williams has been…
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CNN's Stelter Doubts ‘Anyone’ Thinks Williams 'Deserves a 2nd Chance'
After breaking the news that NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will be suspended indefinitely for six months without pay, Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter joined CNN’s AC360 to discuss the story with the Hollywood Reporter’s Marisa Guthrie and expressed doubt that “anyone in the country” believes that Williams “deserves a second chance” as NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke did in backing him…
