Pap and Seder: The Scary Pathology of Brian Williams

[GoLeft TV]

It has been a pretty bad week for NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. After it was revealed that Williams completely fabricated a story about riding in a military helicopter that came under fire during the Iraq war, NBC decided to issue a six month suspension without pay after Williams announced a “leave of absence”.

Ring of Fire’s Mike Papantonio and Sam Seder discuss this.

[TheNutcracker]

1. I will not be watching ever again until the station announces that he's fired...

[panader0]

8. You won't be able to watch any news. They're all paid liars.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. Saw a clip of election night 2008. Brian Williams looked like he was going to cry as McCain lost....

He was visibly disappointed in 2012 too.

[zeemike]

3. I am more interested in the pathology of the media.

I believe (and some will call it a CT) that it was deleverate...it was time for him to fall on the sword for the team...but it is a fun sword to fall on because it will lead to making some real money while he spends more time with his family.

It happened now to distract and keep us focused on this instead of what is really going on...and that is the selling of America to the supper rich...and as a secondary use, the right can say; see I told you the liberal media lies.
It's a win win for everyone that is in.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

12. Nods in agreement...

... that situation occurred to me, also.

[maddiemom]

4. I usually love you guys...but wait...

Progressive media falling for "LOOK a shiny object aka Brian Williams." Just infuriating with all the really important stuff needing attention (Pipeline, political B.S. et cetera). A newsperson inflating his activities---who got seriously damaged or killed (think Cheney, just for starters)? This is SO UNIMPORTANT in the vast, infinite scheme of things...including politicians lying us into wars.

[NJCher]

5. agreed

Williams is my favorite anchor, but Lester Holt will do fine until Williams is back.

Also, it's not true that he completely fabricated the story. My local public radio did a tracing of the story and he started off telling something that was pretty close to the truth. Over time, though, he dropped distinguishing who got shot.

I look at it this way: he probably has a little more of the storyteller to him than the newsman, but I think that after going six months without pay, he'll have learned his lesson.

Aside from Holt, there aren't any anchors who can even come close to his degree of talent.


Cher

[dhol82]

9. Don't normally watch the regular news

but really think that this is a witch hunt for Brian Williams.

I consider this a guy doing a 'the fish I caught was this big' kind of story. It started out fine and got bigger over 12 years in the telling.

Just don't understand the need for torches and pitchforks. The guys and gals on Fox lie through their teeth all the time and get a free pass. Why?

[PatrynXX]

11. When CBS fired Dan Rather....

well how long ago was it? I haven't been back. They fire Brian Williams it's ABC only

[maddiemom]

14. I'm not sure what you're saying, or were you cut off?

We are so far from the "newscaster" icons: Murrow, Cronkite, early Wallace Sr, and "news" has gotten completely insane ever since. Ted Turner had an original "all news" idea that became a Frankenstein monster. Then CABLE filled time with what used to be "fanzine" news about inane people, expressing idiot opinions." Is there any hope out there without freaking out over a "lying" journalist over lying government?

[Fred Sanders]

7. It is much more than that...remember the Iraq fake liar's war, and The Dixie Chicks? Same network and media.

[Fred Sanders]

6. All round bad week for the lying Wall Street corporate media, business as usual at Fox.

[PatrynXX]

10. I'm boycotting the facist channel till he's back on the air

as I see it several people on DU are perfect and have thrown stones

[20score]

13. I like and usually agree with Pap and Seder; but on this subject they got it so goddamn wrong.

Every person on the planet that can speak, lies on a daily basis. This was just an exaggeration. A bad one, and he should be called out, but it should be a day long story - that's it. But because it's simple, people can grab onto it, understand it, and feel superior. No one got hurt and he actually was fired upon. Twelve or thirteen years later he embellished. Big fucking deal.

I don't watch network news, and haven't for decades. So I barely know who he is. I read the news, listen to NPR, Democracy Now; or, now that it's on, watch Al Jazerra. Network News, sucks. At best. Every hour of every day, there are lies told on all the networks, (especially Fox) that get people killed, destroy lives, start wars, scapegoat the innocent while protecting economy destroying thieves...and this the bullshit people care about? Embarrassing.

[GreatGazoo]

15. Pap is right: Seder would be excellent for TDS