Brian Williams: Great Storyteller, Questionable Journalist

Illustration by Max Yeager

NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams has landed himself in some trouble recently, and it’s definitely not in a crashed helicopter in the Iraqi desert.

Military newspaper Stars and Stripes helped break a story last week outing Brian Williams for heavily exaggerating personal accounts of his time in Iraq in 2003. Williams reported that he was among two helicopter convoys heading to the Najaf war zone, just south of Baghdad, from Kuwait, one of which was struck by enemy fire. Initially, Williams’ reports placed him behind the helicopter that was brought down by Iraqi insurgents, but he has since embellished the story.

Despite making no claim in his original 2003 report, Williams has now placed himself firmly in the scene of the near-tragedy. Williams has now frequently referenced the helicopter he was in getting shot down on several occasions, even pushing the story on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2013. While on the program, Williams stated, “We were going to drop some bridge portions across the Euphrates so the third infantry could cross on them. Two of our four helicopters were hit by ground fire, including the one I was in. RPG and AK-47s.” Letterman proceeded to state that Williams’ chopper landed “on the ground in enemy combat,” a false claim that Williams not only failed to correct, but confirmed. Letterman later goes on to commend Williams for his bravery. Williams, again, does not correct him.

As an aspiring journalist as well as someone who just flat-out detests liars, the current scandal surrounding Williams deeply troubles me. Journalists, regardless of stature, should be held to a basic standard of truth, honesty and objectivity. Beyond his glaring violations of a basic code of journalistic ethics, Williams’ lies are so far beyond the actions we should expect from someone in his position. His actions better resemble those of your friend who ramps up the intensity of his stories every time he tells them than those of someone entrusted with providing unbiased news to millions of viewers every night.

This outing of Williams’ lies concerning his time in Iraq has inspired others to come forward with further examples of Williams’ diminishing journalistic integrity. The Washington Post has now questioned Williams’ famous account of his New Orleans hotel being overrun by armed gangs in the aftermath of Katrina. New Orleans Police Chief Eddie Compass has stated that this straight up never occurred, and another man staying at the hotel at the same time as Williams claims to not remember any gangs whatsoever. On top of this, another famous Williams story — the one where he claimed to be robbed at gunpoint outside of a Red Bank, New Jersey in the ‘70s while selling Christmas trees — is also becoming subject to suspicion. An Asbury Park Press article describes the neighborhood at which Williams placed the robbery as harmless, and that a robbery so bizarre in such a small town would have been huge news.

All this mounting evidence is pointing toward what Williams truly is: a great storyteller. Williams’ slick baritone, helmet hair and undeniable knack for comedy make him seem instantly trustworthy to the American viewing public, but trust is an incredibly dangerous thing in the hands of a con artist. Comedians like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Larry Wilmore have been able to successfully blend comedy and truth-telling to tremendous success, making Williams' exposure all the more embarrassing (and all the better comedic fodder). There’s a place for storytelling in journalism, assuming the stories you’re telling are true. In Williams’ case, maybe it’s time to choose a different profession.