by Michael J.R. Schindler
Brian Williams, the NBC Nightly News anchor, is taking some heat for âmisrememberingâ an event in Iraq that took place in 2003. According to his original version of events, he was aboard a helicopter that was downed by an RPG. Last week, he recanted that version only after several soldiers who were involved called into question Mr. Williamsâ version of events.
He apologized for his false statement and NBC is now launching an internal investigation.
Aside from Mr. Williamsâ character and credibility being called into question, some are questioning whether todayâs media is more about storytelling and less about reporting the facts and truth. After all, isnât it the âstoryâ that grabs the attention of the viewer more than the details?
Do details matter? When the media gets it wrong on Veterans issues or events, Veterans notice.
For some Veterans, the details (aka âtruthâ) are incredibly important; for others, they are willing to provide grace and move past the issue if past actions outweigh the one or two moments of bad judgment.
Joe Davis, an Air Force Veteran who served his country for 24 plus years and then went into the non-profit sector, now serving as the national spokesman for Veterans of Foreign War, found Williamsâ embellishment âreprehensible,â and further stated âthat he [Williams] has no idea what âdirect fireâ means.â
Ouch.
Younger Veterans, like Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) seemed a bit more forgiving. âPersecuting him over this mistake will do little to help our veterans and service members. I am confident that in years ahead, Brian will continue to dedicate himself to our vets â as he always has â and inspire others to do the same.â
Generational differences? Condemnation vs. Grace? There are so many directions one can go with this.
But why is this Williamsâ issue more front page than the over-hyped myth that most Veterans suffer from PTSD? (Most Veterans donât suffer from PTSD.) Or why is the 22 veteran suicides a day a backseat issue to Mr. Williamsâ âmisrememberingâ how events took place a dozen years ago?
A credible storyteller matters in reporting â and there is little doubt that consequences will be administered. But letâs focus on real issues when it comes to Veterans and their familiesâŠlike what happens after the homecoming hugs.
Bottom line: the details typically matter to those personally involved. Sure, the Williamsâ incident raises some eyebrows â and there should be consequences for his admitted actions â but does this incident warrant a Scarlet Letter around his neck? Iâm rather certain this incident is a great reminder to all journalists to âstay true to the facts.â
Oh. One last note: Mr. Williams is also being questioned for a story he reported during the Katrina natural disaster that he may have also embellished. My dad told me that if I tell the truth in life I wonât have to remember what I said when Iâm questioned. Good thing because my memory seems to be slipping â but nonetheless, Iâm thinking I should just confess now to all my dirty laundry so I donât become tomorrowâs news story.
Also see:Â
- Brian Williamsâ apology draws mixed reviews from mission vets
- NBCâs Brian Williams recants Iraq story after soldiers protest
The Military Wire, hosted by Mike Schindler, interviews some of America’s most elite men and women who have served this country in hopes that you the listener will gain an “ah-ha” moment that will help you move your life forward.
Mike is a US Navy Veteran, an award-winning author, and has been featured on Yahoo Finance, the Boston Globe, NY Post, USA Today, Q13 Fox, and numerous other media outlets discussing why today’s Veterans are truly one of America’s Greatest Assets. Mike is the author of two highly endorsed books, âOperation Military Family: How Military Couples are Fighting to Preserve their Marriages,â and âU.S. Veterans in the Workforce: Why the 7% are Americaâs Greatest Asset.â
All content herein is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VNR, authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, technicians, or VT Network. Some content may be satirical in nature.Â
All images within are full responsibility of the author and NOT VNR.
Read Full Policy Notice - Comment Policy
Brian Williams is not alone: Hillary Clinton, Stephen Glass and other famous fabrications
http://news.yahoo.com/brian-williams-is-not-alone–hillary-clinton–stephen-glass-and-other-famous-fabrications-200635601.html;_ylt=A0SO8wqRndZUeUYAehql87UF;_ylu=X3oDMTEzZWgzbmFmBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVklQMzAxXzEEc2VjA3Nj
Hillary is exactly who I thought of as soon as I found out about this lying talking head.
“Unfortunately for Williams, he is not a politician but a journalist â his profession is one in which lying is still, technically, frowned upon”
Amazing but true- we actually expect our politicos to lie to us!
“Clinton and Harkin are just two in a long history of politicians whoâve exaggerated â or flat-out lied â about their war experience. In fact, some might consider it a political tradition”
How is this acceptable? If this is a career-ender for Williams, it should be for Clinton too. We need to make this manifest.
We don’t expect media people to lie to us? Should we not fear an appointment with the dentist either? What weird alternative reality do people live in?
Almost a decade ago, I wrote an article ‘Are we being spun?’ Nothing seems to have CHANGED, in fact it seems to have gotten worse. I Love it whenever I come across a piece of writing or speech that says something that encapsulates or perfectly NAILS A LIE that is being committed and lays it out for all to see. It is called: âWITNESSING THE TRUTH.â It is the only way to fight the ugliness that is put forth everyday by the people that have bent the reality to their own uses.
Those who have been misinforming their audiences are intelligent enough to know that they are deceiving their viewers.
In what appears to be an attempt to outfox the Fox News Network,the more liberal networks of NBC, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and CNN now propagandize their viewers with “outright lies.”
Harvard Professor Stephen Walt reports that as early as 2005, 78 percent of the news media, 72 percent of military leaders and 69 percent of foreign affairs specialists believed that backing Israel seriously damages Americaâs image around the world.
That factual revelation isnât something you hear on TV. If 78 percent of the news media hold that belief, they are not reporting it.
How does all this play out on the stage of life, in which we all have a part to play day in and day out? Do we become cynical when deceived by some shyster in the street or in the White House? Do we trust that because someone holds the ultimate position of trust that they will lead us down the path of righteousness and truth to better our life or country? Does the cynicism remain with us after we have been deceived or do we return to trust until proven wrong in our assumptions once again? How long do we go on living with and accepting deception before enough is enough and we make a stand for our fundamental beliefs?
If you know you are being lied to and you are absolutely sure that you are being steered down a dead-end street that is causing you to forsake your moral judgment and the foundation of your upbringing and making a mockery of everything you hold as the truth, should you tolerate it?
Donât let there be a mushroom cloud on the horizon that will erase your ability to make the nightmare go away for generations to come. You have got to make it happen before itâs too late to put the train in reverse and send the liars to Mars on the next flight out!
Comments are closed.